The effect of formal team meetings on teachers’ informal data use interactions

Abstract

In recent years, the emphasis on interaction in data use has grown because of its potential to support individual teachers. However, in practice, teachers do not appear to interact widely in their use of data, either formally or informally. To gain knowledge of how sustainable data use interactions can be facilitated, this study investigated how formal data use in teams of teachers affects the teachers' informal interactive data use. A survey provided insight into 72 teachers' perceptions of data use discussion, interpretation, diagnosis and action at formal team meetings. Subsequently, social network analysis of seven teacher informal data use networks revealed that teachers with more positive perceptions about formal data use become more active in their informal data use network. Within the problem diagnosis phase, this tendency is to generalize across the participating teams. The results of this study imply that, particularly to define problems and formulate actions based on pupil learning outcome data, it is necessary to ensure strong connections between teachers in formal groupings in order to affect their informal interactive behaviour.

Student guidance decisions at team meetings: do teachers use data for rational decision making?

“…However, it is clear that whereas core teams may get engaged in data use, this engagement does not always flow through the entire school (Hubers et al, 2017). As we know that the relation between formal and informal networks may play an important role here (Van Gasse, 2019), it is crucial to gain insight into how data use can be facilitated apart from intervention settings. In line with what we stated earlier, effect measures should play a role.…”

Entgrenzungen. Beiträge zum 28. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft

“…Zusätzlich verstehen wir unter Kooperation sowohl die Zusammenarbeit in formellen als auch in informellen Settings, da professionelles Lernen in die tägliche informelle Arbeit der Lehrkräfte eingebettet ist (Lecat et al 2020;Mitchell/Sackney 2011;Van Gasse 2019). Die Zusammenarbeit kann in Bezug auf die Tiefe der Interaktionen variieren (z.…”

Preconditions of teachers’ collaborative practice

“…Second, collaboration in our study is not restricted to teachers but also includes interaction with school leaders and other professionals within and beyond the school (Mitchell & Sackney, 2011). Third, we focus on formal and informal settings, as professional learning is embedded in teachers' and school leaders' daily informal work (Kyndt et al, 2016;Lecat et al, 2020;Mitchell & Sackney, 2011;Van Gasse, 2019). Fourth, collaboration in schools is related to specific tasks.…”