Developing data literacy: Investigating the effects of a pre-service data use intervention

• Published in: Teaching and teacher education 2022-01, Vol.109, p.103569, Article 103569
• Main Authors: Miller-Bains, Katherine L., Cohen, Julie, Wong, Vivian C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Data literacy; Data use; Data-based decision making; Randomized control trial; Teacher education
• ISSN: 0742-051X; 1879-2480
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2021.103569

Data literacy is critical for new teachers, who must collect, analyze, and use an array of student data every day. Despite the importance of data use as a means to improve instruction, we have limited experimental evidence about how to support pre-service teachers' in developing positive attitudes towards and comfort with working with data. We randomly assigned 90 preservice teachers to participate in a data literacy workshop, followed by a series of prompts to apply content in student teaching placements. Participants’ perceptions of and data knowledge were assessed on a range of measures. Those in the treatment condition reported significantly higher perceptions of assessment relevance, instructional self-efficacy, and data use knowledge. •A low-intensity, low-cost intervention can improve candidates' attitudes about data and skills working with data.•These improvements do not fade several months after participation.•Participation in a data literacy intervention reduced perceptions that assessments are irrelevant to teaching.•Participating candidates found the workshop helped them to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of assessments.•Five months after the intervention, participating candidates had a higher sense of instructional self-efficacy.