Short-Term Effects of an Online Data Literacy Intervention on Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers’ Beliefs and Anxiety

• In Event: Technology Integration and Online Learning

Abstract

Current K-12 educators are increasingly expected to use data to inform their decision making in the classroom. However, research estimates minimal opportunities for pre-service teachers to learn how to use data, and there are limited evidence-based mechanisms for developing in-service teachers on this front. This paper responds with an experimental study (N=147) of an online data literacy intervention for pre-service and in-service teachers. The facilitated, collaborative, and highly-structured intervention engaged participants in asking and answering four different kinds of questions (e.g., achievement status and growth, strengths and weaknesses, instructional implications) at five different student levels (e.g., individual, subgroup, school) with external assessment data (e.g., benchmark tests, once-a-year state tests) presented in tables, charts, and score reports. Findings indicate intervention effects on in-service teachers’ data-driven decision making self-efficacy and anxiety, and highly favorable participant perceptions of intervention impact. Limitations, implications for practice, and future research directions are discussed.

Authors

• Todd Reeves, Northern Illinois University

• Raye Chiang, Northern Illinois University