The "Datafication" of Teachers' Learning: Australian Insights

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Perspectives on Accountability and Data-Driven Education

Abstract

The presentation explores how teachers’ learning is constituted through increased attention to standardized data for accountability purposes. The research draws upon interviews and meetings of teachers in one school in northern Queensland, Australia, over a four-year period (2013-2016). Drawing upon literature on the sociology of numbers in education, and its application to the governance of education through data, the research reveals: teacher inquiry as dominated by multiple forms of data, largely oriented towards national testing; an emphasis on constantly ‘talking to’ student data, and; ‘sorting and selecting’ students, to identify students deemed likely to improve their results relative to school, regional and national benchmarks. Even in sites dedicated to systematic teacher learning, standardized data can limit the learning that occurs.

Author

• Ian J. Hardy, The University of Queensland