The Development of Capacity for Data Use: The Role of Teacher Networks in an Elementary School
The Development of Capacity for Data Use: The Role of Teacher Networks in an Elementary School
复制标题
数据使用能力的发展：教师网络在小学中的作用
作者：
E. Farley;Joan Buttram
背景 在增加数据使用的呼声中，关于如何建设学校利用数据改善教学的能力的研究或政策指导很少。基于之前强调数据使用的社会性质的研究，我们认为，为了了解能力如何发展，研究必须关注支持教育者实践的关系和网络，将能力概念化为社会嵌入的。目的本文探讨通过社交网络方法发展小学的数据使用能力。我们的分析重点是数据建议网络的结构、网络中公认专家的特征以及网络在影响信念和实践方面的生产力。人口数据来自一所小学的 42 名教育工作者样本，该小学所在地区是数据的有力用户，可以改善教学。参与者完成了一项关于他们的数据使用信念、实践和学校背景的调查，以及一份社交网络调查问卷，表明他们向谁寻求有关使用数据的建议。研究设计 我们利用调查数据，通过描述性统计和社交网络分析 (SNA) 来确定学校数据使用网络的特征。 SNA 还被用来开发这些网络中结构位置的衡量标准，然后用于预测教师关于数据使用的信念和实践的相似性。调查结果 调查结果表明，数据使用网络受到学校更大的专业结构的影响，数据建议来自属于更大专业网络的同事。网络结构揭示了很少有高度集中的“建议提供者”和许多由充当建议经纪人的教师和领导者联系起来的“建议寻求者”。我们发现经纪人可能在开发共享实践中发挥重要作用，因为他们支持的间接关系可以预测共享数据使用实践。结论 这项研究是首批通过社交网络方法探索数据使用的研究之一，并提供了有关教育者网络如何帮助学校建立数据使用能力的早期证据。我们的研究结果对于专业发展的设计、学校领导的专业发展以及数据使用相关改革的成功实施具有重要意义。
Background Amid calls for increased data use, there is little research or policy guidance for how to build schools’ capacity to leverage data to improve teaching and learning. Building on previous research highlighting the social nature of data use, we contend that in order to understand how capacity develops, research must focus on relationships and networks that support educators’ practice, conceptualizing capacity as socially embedded. Purpose This article explores the development of data use capacity in an elementary school through a social network approach. Our analysis focuses on the structure of data advice networks, the characteristics of perceived experts in the network, and the productiveness of the network in terms of influencing beliefs and practice. Population Data come from a sample of 42 educators from an elementary school exemplified by its district as a strong user of data to improve teaching and learning. Participants completed a survey about their data use beliefs, practices, and school context, as well as a social network questionnaire indicating from whom they sought advice on using data. Research Design We used the survey data to identify characteristics of the schools’ data use networks using descriptive statistics and social network analysis (SNA). SNA was also used to develop measures of structural location in those networks, which were then used to predict similarities in teachers’ beliefs and practices around data use. Findings Findings reveal that data use networks are influenced by the larger professional structure of the school, with data advice being from colleagues who are part of their larger professional network. Network structure reveals few highly central “advice givers” and many “advice seekers” connected by teachers and leaders who serve as brokers of advice. We find that brokers may play an important role in developing shared practices, given that the indirect relationships they support are predictive of shared data use practices. Conclusions This research is among the first to explore data use through a social network approach and offers early evidence about how educators’ networks enable schools to build capacity for data use. Our findings have implications for the design of professional development, for professional development for school leaders, and for successful implementation of reforms related to data use.