Teachers’ Use of Education Dashboards and Professional Growth

Authors

  • Shiran Michaeli Tel Aviv University
  • Dror Kroparo Tel Aviv University
  • Arnon Hershkovitz Tel Aviv University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v21i4.4663

Keywords:

teachers, education dashboard, professional development, data-driven decision-making, elementary school

Abstract

Education dashboards are a means to present various stakeholders with information about learners, most commonly regarding the learners’ activity in online learning environments. Typically, an education dashboard for teachers will include some type of visual aids that encourage teachers to reflect upon learner behavior patterns and to act in accordance to it. In practice, this tool can assist teachers to make data-driven decisions, thus supporting their professional growth, however, so far, the use of education dashboards by teachers has been greatly understudied. In this research we report on two studies related to the associations between the use of education dashboards by elementary school teachers and the teachers’ professional growth. We used the framework defined by the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) Standards for Educators. In the first study, we took a quantitative approach (N=52 teachers), using an online self-report questionnaire, and found that the use of dashboards is positively associated with professional growth in the dimensions of facilitator, analyst, designer, and citizen. In the second study, we took a qualitative approach (N=9 teachers), using semi-structured interviews, to shed light on the mechanisms through which teachers benefit from the use of education dashboards.

Author Biographies

Shiran Michaeli, Tel Aviv University

Shiran Michaeli holds an M.A. in Science Teaching (Tel Aviv University, Israel), and a B.Ed. (Kibbutzim College, Israel). She works as an instructional developer of learning materials for elementary school students, and had been a science teacher for four years. Her Masters' thesis was focused on teachers' use of education dashboards.

Dror Kroparo, Tel Aviv University

Dror Kroparo holds an M.A. in Science Teaching (Tel Aviv University, Israel), and an LL.B. (Sapir College, Israel). He works as a globa learning expert in the business sector. His Masters' thesis was focused on teachers' professional growth.

Arnon Hershkovitz, Tel Aviv University

Arnon Hershkovitz, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science, and an M.A. in Applied Mathematics. His research is mostly focused on the skills required for learning and instructing in the cyberlearning ecosystem.

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Published

2020-07-23

How to Cite

Michaeli, S., Kroparo, D., & Hershkovitz, A. (2020). Teachers’ Use of Education Dashboards and Professional Growth. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(4), 61–78. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v21i4.4663

Issue

Section

Research Articles