A Story of Teachers’ Data Use for Self-Evaluation in Two Taiwanese High Schools

Abstract Information: The current emphasis on data use is a major aspect of self-evaluation. Teachers are expected to make decisions based on quality data rather than their intuition. Research has revealed that the practices of data use relied on the context in which educators used data. This study provided a unique case that was situated in a low-stakes accountability system, a new curriculum reform, and a non-Western context. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how high school teachers used data to guide their decision under a new Taiwanese curriculum reform, which included self-evaluation. A case study was conducted with two Taiwanese high schools that were recognized for their quality curriculum development. Besides two principals, research participants included 13 teachers who participated in data use teams. Research data were collected from interviews and documents. The empirical study analyzed the data types that teachers used and the process by which teachers moved data to action to address students’ learning needs. Additionally, the enablers and hindrances to teachers’ data use in the case of schools were identified. Finally, suggestions were provided for theory and practices based on the research findings.

Relevance Statement: Data use is a powerful approach to school improvement and has gained increasing attention in the field of evaluation worldwide. The practices of data use are operated in the complex context in which teachers use data to inform their decision. This study offered a case that was situated in a low-stakes accountability system, a new curriculum reform, and a non-Western context. In the Taiwanese accountability system, there are neither published school league tables nor consequences for poor school performance. Teachers tend to be less pressured by an external accountability system. Nevertheless, under a new curriculum reform, teachers in Taiwanese high schools are expected to develop school-based curriculum to respond to their students’ unique needs. In this context of policy, self-evaluation is one expectation for schools to develop curriculum. The new reform created urgency for teachers to strengthen the curriculum that was designed for their students. Driven by their values of quality curriculum, the teachers in this study felt a need to use data to improve their curriculum. With limited external data, teachers had ownership of collecting the data they perceived useful, interpreted and analyzed the data collaboratively, and implemented data-informed improvements. Additionally, using a Taiwanese case, this study addressed a gap on current literature that represented most data use practices in the western contexts. Intrinsic motivation for data use, perceived utility of data, and ownership of the data use process all play important roles in a low-stakes accountability system and a new curriculum reform in Taiwan.
This study, which applied a framework of data use in self-evaluation, seems consistent with evaluators’ ethical guiding principles and evaluators’ competencies. Particularly, self-evaluators conducted data-based inquiries that are not only methodological but also contextually relevant to their curriculum practices, which motivated teachers to be actively involved in data use, a major aspect of self-evaluation.
This qualitative study examined the practices of data use and the factors that affected teachers’ use of data. Response to the theme of this year’ s conference theme, storytelling is beneficial for describing the unique context in which teachers used data in Taiwanese high schools under a new curriculum reform. This study infused a story to convey the findings that were situated in the complex context, which revealed the power of the story. The findings of this study have the potential to broaden our understanding of data use in self-evaluation in a diverse context. This study may be relevant for educators and those interested in data use, particularly in a low-stakes accountability system. In addition, this study provided practitioners with opportunities to exchange experiences regarding how to motivate teachers to be involved in self-evaluation or a collaborative format of evaluation.