Improving teacher education in the Netherlands: data team as learning team?

Abstract

Using data in a professional learning community is a promising form of professional development. In this study, we followed a data team of teacher educators, who systematically tried to improve the education of student teachers (by decreasing first year drop-out). By conducting a single case study, we investigated the data team participants' learning in depth. We analysed the team's conversations and investigated the role of the data coach. The results of our observations and interviews showed that the conversations in the data team (1) provided a context for learning; (2) were relevant and slowly reached a higher level of inquiry as the meetings continued; (3) were focused on teaching and learning, although the action plan developed involved general actions and was not so much related to their own teaching and learning; (4) could reach greater depth when the conversations were informed by data.

Keywords:

• Data team
• improving education
• professional development
• data-based decision making
• teacher education