A case study on how greek teachers make use of big data analytics in K-12 education

Abstract

Big Data Analytics can help teachers to make better and informed decisions. Several recent articles in the field of technology enhanced learning concern this potential, yet little is known about how teachers actually make use of Big Data Analytics in their school to support themselves and their students. To compensate for this gap, this paper focuses on the actual uses of Big Data Analytics by active schoolteachers. Thirty teachers who live in Greece participated in survey about their usage of (a) Big Data analytics and (b) online learning environments which capture student data. The data were analysed using mixed methods. Main findings reveal that the schoolteachers are storing and actively using student data as well as Big Data which involve the support of the teaching-learning process. Also, it became clear that teachers use Big Data Analytics for two main distinctively different purposes: to cover teaching-learning aspects and to complete administrative tasks. Finally, it emerged that a small number of teachers is archiving digital multimedia. Consequently, a need arises for appropriate analytics and relevant privacy frameworks. Other practical implications of the findings of this work touch upon the design of teachers ‘development programs in Big Data and their analytics.