Teacher Interactions in Data Use: Development Through the Inquiry Cycle and Potential for Learning

• In Event: 47.070 - Collaborative Data Use: Why, How, and When Does It (Not) Work?

Abstract

Objectives
Teacher interactions have been perceived crucial for the success of data use in schools (Copland, 2003; Hubbard, Datnow, & Pruyn, 2014). As a result, many collaborative data use interventions have been established over the years. However, these interactions do not automatically lead to successful data use (Schildkamp, Poortman, & Handelzalts, 2016). Moreover, the success of data use strongly depends on the actions undertaken by interacting teachers. Therefore, it is crucial to gain insight into the characteristics of data use interactions and in the outcomes of these interactions. This work investigates teachers’ interactive behavior in data use and the professional learning results this behavior leads to.

Theoretical framework
This research draws on perspectives of workplace learning of teachers. To gain more insight into activities characterizing the interactions among teachers, the Little (1990) framework is used. In this framework, different activities that inherit increasing levels of interdependence of teachers are included: storytelling, helping, sharing and joint work. To examine professional learning results of data use inter-actions among teachers, the framework of Zwart, Wubbels, Bolhuis, & Bergen (2008) is used. Zwart et al. (2008) distinguish learning outcomes at the level of cognition (e.g. new or confirmed ideas, changed ideas of the self), attitude (e.g. intention to change behavior) and practice (e.g. turn new or confirmed ideas into practice).

Methods and data sources
We combined social network analysis within 5 teacher teams with in-depth interviews on teachers’ personal networks with 14 teachers. A Stochastic Actor Oriented Model (SAOM) was used to analyze how interactions patterns among teachers develop from data discussion, to interpretation, diagnosis and action. The in-depth interviews served to gain more insight into the interdependence of teachers’ activities and their professional learning results.


Results
Our results show that teacher interactions depend on the data use sequence of discussion, interpretation, diagnosis and action. Whereas teachers tend to connect with more colleagues in the discussion phase, their interactions become fewer though more intense when moving on to the more complex phases in data use. This is also reflected in the interdependence in teachers’ activities. The activities with more potential for learning (e.g. sharing and joint work) are only found in the more complex phases of data use in interaction with fewer colleagues. As a result, teacher learning based upon these interactions appears to be limited and mainly situated at the level of attitudes (e.g. being conscious of pupils’ learning problems or colleagues’ teaching style).

Scientific significance of the study
Insights into the characteristics and outcomes of teachers’ data use interactions are essential to get more grips on whether certain data use interactions will or will not be effective, and to being able to support data use interactions that are likely to be sustainable over time.

Authors

• Roos Van Van Gasse, University of Antwerp

• Kristin Vanlommel, University of Antwerp

• Jan Vanhoof, Antwerp University

• Peter Van Petegem, University of Antwerp