Districts’ Efforts for Data Use and Computer Data Systems: The Role of Sensemaking in System Use and Implementation
Abstract
Background: Increasingly, teachers and other educators are expected to leverage data in making educational decisions. Effective data use is difficult, if not impossible, without computer data systems. Nonetheless, these systems may be underused or even rejected by teachers. One potential explanation for such troubles may relate to how teachers have made sense of such technologies in practice. Recognizing the interpretive flexibility of computer data systems provides an avenue into exploring these issues. Objective: This study aims to explore the factors affecting teachers’ use of computer data systems. Drawing upon the notion of interpretive flexibility, it highlights the influence of sensemaking processes on the use and implementation of computer data systems. Research Design: This comparative case study draws upon interview and observational data gathered in three school districts. Matrices were used to compare understandings about data use and about computer data systems within each district by job role (i.e., central office member, campus administrator, and teacher), as well as across districts. Results: Our findings challenge commonplace assumptions about technologies and their “effects” on teacher work. For example, access to a system or its functions did not determine changes of practice. Paradoxically, we even found that teachers could reject or ignore functions of which they were personally in favor. Although computer data systems can support changes of practice, we found that agency for change rested in people, not in the technologies themselves. Indeed, teachers’ sensemaking about “data” and “data use” shaped whether and how systems were used in practice. Although central offices could be important to sensemak-ing, this role was often underplayed. Conclusion: We provide recommendations regarding how researchers, school, and district leaders might better conceptualize data and data systems. These recommendations include recognizing implementation as an extended period of social adjustment. Further, we emphasize that it is the unique duty of school and district leaders to share their visions regarding data use, as well as to engage in dialogue with their communities about the natures of schooling and data use.
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Access to the system and its functions did not determine changes in teaching practice.
“Cho and Wayman (2014) found that access to the system and its functions did not determine changes in teaching practice.”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
Teachers could reject functions that they have not understood.
“In addition, their findings revealed that teachers could even reject functions that they have not understood.”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
Teachers' access to the data systems does not appear to inform changes in teaching practice because teachers reject systems and functions which they do not favour or are unfamiliar with.
“In addition, teachers' access to the data systems does not appear to inform changes in teaching practice because teachers reject systems and functions which they do not favour or are unfamiliar with (Cho & Wayman, 2014).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
Using data and data systems for improvement requires a significant cultural change that includes leadership, effort, and well-designed support.
“Cho and Wayman (2014) highlight that using data and data systems for improvement requires a significant cultural change that includes leadership, effort, and welldesigned support.”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho and Wayman (2014)
Teachers' limited data uptake can be attributed to their dissatisfaction with timeliness and difficulty finding the desired data.
“Also, teachers' limited data uptake can be attributed to their dissatisfaction with timeliness and difficulty finding the desired data (Cho & Wayman, 2014).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
Efficient data access means user-friendliness, system speed and updates, timely data, and longitudinal data.
“Efficient data access means user-friendliness, system speed and updates, timely data, and longitudinal data (Cho & Wayman, 2014;Rankin, 2016;Wayman et al., 2017).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
The level of teachers' knowledge and dispositions on using the data systems and their benefits are strong predictors of their adoption.
“The level of teachers' knowledge and dispositions on using the data systems and their benefits are strong predictors of their adoption (Cho & Wayman, 2014;van der Kleij & Eggen, 2013).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
Developing a culture for using data systems for DDDM sets a clear direction for teachers and the whole school.
“Developing a culture for using data systems for DDDM sets a clear direction for teachers and the whole school (Cho & Wayman, 2014;van Geel et al., 2017).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
The difficulty in accessing data limits teachers' use of data systems.
“The difficulty in accessing data limits teachers' use of data systems (Cho & Wayman, 2014).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
When teachers have access to relevant data they need in a particular time and context, they are more likely to use the data systems.
“Also, when teachers have access to relevant data they need in a particular time and context, they are more likely to use the data systems (Cho & Wayman, 2014;Means et al., 2009).”
From Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023) (2024) · cites this paper as Cho & Wayman, 2014
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References 97 · Cited by 75
- Authors
- Cho, V., & Wayman, J. C.
- Affiliations
- Boston College (US)
- ORCID
- Cho, Vincent
- Venue
- Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-02
- Volume
- 116
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 1-45
- ISSN
- 0040-0475 (ISSN-L)
- 0161-4681
- 1467-9620
- OpenAlex
- W2243183709
- Cited by
- 75
- References
- 97
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 20.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Educational Assessment and Improvement
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and Technology Integration
- Keywords
- educational data use, sensemaking, interpretive flexibility, teacher agency, educational decision-making, school leadership, educational technology adoption, social adaptation
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