Faculty Data Use Practices in Teacher Education: A Cross-Case Analysis of Three Programs

• In Event: Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Assessment and Program Improvement in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Despite the upsurge in policies promoting evidence-based accountability, there has been surprisingly little research related to using data for program improvement in teacher education. This paper draws on activity theory to investigate programmatic supports that foster productive faculty engagement in data use in three “high data use” teacher education programs. Findings suggest that leadership actions are particularly important in framing the meanings and interpretations of data use activities and in creating processes and supports that engage faculty, supervisors, and staff in collective, collaborative data analysis and decision making. These leaders’ systemic approaches to addressing accountability policies and new data sources affected how people experienced and valued the collaborative work and made programmatic goals more concrete and widely shared.

Author

• Susannah Davis, University of Washington - Seattle