How teachers engage with student assessment data: Understanding antecedents to data-driven decision making

In recent years, education systems internationally have been encouraging data-use initiatives with the aim of improving student learning through data-driven decision making (DDDM). The use of student assessment data in particular has been promoted to guide teaching practices and progress student learning. Despite this, the adoption of data-use practices by New South Wales classroom teachers has been slow. The study qualitatively examined two core foundational activities that affect New South Wales classroom teachers’ use of student assessment data, referred to as assessment data collection (ADC) practices, and assessment data analysis (ADA) practices. Specifically, the study sought to answer: What are the processes that New South Wales teachers follow to a) collect and b) analyse student assessment data to inform their teaching practices?