Fostering Teachers' Professional Development in the Context of Educational Reform by the Productive Use of Students' Data

• In Event: 31.048 - Professional Development Approaches for Student Achievement

Abstract

Students’ data are commonly used for accountability purposes by school leaders and teachers. Such data can also be used to inform teachers about possible changes. However, teachers generally have little time and possibilities for such change processes. In this paper, we put forward that this can be avoided by offering teachers practical tools for interpreting and productively using students´ data. Participating teachers followed a professional development program with multiple ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ (PDCA) cycles to make changes to their instructional practices. During this process, we provided the participants with practical frames that were designed to enable them to better understand students’ data and make productive changes. Results showed that participants were able to use the frames to implement change in significant ways.

Authors

• Michiel Dam, Leiden University

• Fred Janssen, Leiden University

• Hanna Barbara Westbroek, VU University Amsterdam