Using action research to develop data literacy in initial teacher education
Publication Details
Kennedy-Clark, S.,
Galstaun, V.,
Reimann, P.,
&
Handal, B.
(2020).
Using action research to develop data literacy in initial teacher education.
The Journal of Teacher Action Research, 6 (2), 4-25.
Abstract
There is a call for higher education institutions and professional learning providers to support pre-service teachers (PST) in developing competency in data literacy through clinical (classroom) practice. However, PST rarely have the opportunity to collect and analyze data that is relevant to their own classroom practice. In this paper, we put forward the results of a study that centered on PST conducting their own action research project during a ten-week professional experience placement in a high school. The aim of the PST’s action research studies was to demonstrate that their data-driven pedagogical decisions had a positive impact upon their students’ learning outcomes. It was found that while all of the PST could develop a research question and collect data, they needed more explicit training in action research and data literacy skills to develop a range of competencies that would support them in making nuanced data-driven learning and teaching decisions in the classroom.
Keywords
teacher action research, initial teacher education, data literacy, professional learning, Proof of Ongoing Learning (POOL)
