District administrators’ governing styles in the enactment of data-use practices

ABSTRACT

This study focus on how administrators in districts approach data and data use in education differently. Based on data material from local policy documents, interviews with district administrators and observations from meetings with district administrators, school leaders and teachers, we reveal how different views on learning outcomes manifest in language use and choice of influence attempts, calling for greater consideration and awareness of the role of local authority in education. Our analysis shows how policy goals, as defined in key policy documents, are transformed and adapted into varied local governing styles – sometimes shifting the focus of primary goals in another direction, and at other times enhancing and extending the goals.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The study was registered by the Norwegian Data Protection Official for Research, and all the district administrators and school leaders gave their written consent to participate in the study.

2. With the last national education reform, the Knowledge Promotion Reform of 2006, five basic skills were introduced in the national curriculum to enhance schools’ focus on reading, writing, numeracy, English language and digital skills.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Norges Forskningsråd [237977].

Notes on contributors

Tine Sophie Prøitz

Tine Sophie Prøitz is professor at the Department of Education Science, University of South-Eastern Norway. Her research interest are within the fields of education policy and reform, learning outcomes and teacher education.

Sølvi Mausethagen

Sølvi Mausethagen is professor at the Centre for the Study of Professions, Oslo Metropolitan University. Her research interests include the teaching profession, education policy and accountability.

Guri Skedsmo

Guri Skedsmo is Professor at Schwyz University of Teacher Education in Switzerland and Associate Professor at the University of Oslo in Norway. Her main research interests are in the areas of educational governance and leadership, school development and change as well as professional development of school leaders.