The Roles of Collaborative Professional Development, Self-Efficacy, and Positive Affect in Encouraging Teacher Data Use in the Classroom

Abstract

This dissertation tests a hypothesized model that links collaborative data use professional development experiences and successful use of student data in the classroom. More and more, teachers are expected to be data literate by using student data in all its forms to make effective instructional classroom strategies. Professional development providers have addressed this change by offering experiences that explore and explain effective use of student data. Specifically, this dissertation details the importance of teachers using student data in the classroom, the hallmarks of teacher professional development, the importance of teacher collaboration in professional development experiences, collaboration’s link with teacher self-efficacy, self-efficacy’s contribution to positive affective states related to using data, and finally, positive affect’s role in engendering teacher’s adoption of student data in their classrooms. A serial, regression-based mediation model is hypothesized and tested. Survey data from over 200 K-12 educators from across the United States were collected; the sample reflected a purposeful quota based on age and gender. The survey addressed the hallmarks of effective professional development as control variables, experience in a collaborative professional development program, self-efficacy related to using data, positive affect related to using data, three operationalizations of use of student data, and finally, demographic characteristics. If the control variables were excluded from the analyses, the hypothesized model was supported. However, when the control variables were included, collaboration no longer factored into the model significantly. Two of the control variables, active learning and focused content, seemed to have a suppressing effect on collaboration, indicating they may moderate the relationship. Two interaction variables were calculated (collaboration * active learning, and collaboration * focused content) and included in the model separately. The analyses suggested both variables did moderate the relationship, in that high levels of collaboration, active learning, and focused content needed to be present in order to facilitate the relationship. However, when the interaction variables are included in the model, they affect the mediating variables separately and not in sequence. Thus, the model degrades into a parallel mediation model; serial mediation no longer seems to be occurring. In all, the analyses demonstrate the importance of collaborative learning in professional development experiences related to use of student data. However, it seems collaboration works best when an experience is also highly focused on classroom data use (and not other content) and that it contains frequent opportunities for active learning. Professional development providers can use this knowledge to design more effective experiences. Similarly, school leaders and teacher coaches can use this knowledge to guide teachers to experiences that are likely to result in teachers developing data use skills to aid in their classroom instruction.