Quality Improvement Through Performance Feedback
Author(s):
Julia Zuber (presenting / submitting)
Conference:
ECER 2015
Network:
Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Format:
Paper

Session Information

ERG SES G 12, Countries and Education

Paper Session

Time:
2015-09-08
09:00-10:30
Room:
340. [Main]
Chair:
Catarina Silva Martins

Contribution

This PhD project focuses on investigating the use and effects of data feedback on different levels within the Austrian education system. In particular, the focus is on cooperation and interaction between different actors of the education system that may be (or may not be) stimulated by the use of data feedback.

In order to promote quality assurance and quality improvement in schools, instruments supporting the idea of evidence-based policy (such as e.g. educational standards and annual comparative student assessment) were introduced in order to enhance the quality of the educational system. According to the idea of this evidence based policy, feedback data of student assessment is to provide basic information and motivational stimuli for quality improvement: within the multi-level education system all actors receive feedback, e.g. government, regional school administration, teachers and pupils, appropriate to their role, providing directions and impulses for quality improvement (i.e. Halbheer & Reusser, 2008; Klieme, 2004; Oelkers & Reusser, 2008).

Previous studies investigating the use of data feedback indicated rather poor use of student assessment data by teachers. Even though teachers report positive attitude towards data feedback (Bonsen, Büchter & Peek, 2006), it seems hard for them to translate feedback data into constructive teaching improvement measures (Grabensberger, Specht & Freudenthaler, 2008; Peek, 2004). Usually, their focus is put on repeating contents, slight changes in interaction (Groß Ophoff, 2013) and training test formats (Maier, 2007; Hosenfeld & Groß Ophoff, 2007). There are hardly any reports on more thorough innovations in teaching (Groß Ophoff, 2013).

However, the educational standards policy does not only aim at improving teaching quality, but at stimulating quality improvement on all hierarchical levels of the education system (Eder et al., 2005). Since previous research focused extensively on teachers, there is barely any knowledge of how other levels (i.e. school administration, principals, etc.) use data feedback and how the data stimulates interaction between levels, although participation of all levels in the quality improvement process seems essential (Altrichter, 2010). My study aims at examining the processes of using data feedback on and between different system levels. In particular, it addresses the question to what extent data use influences multi-level interaction and comprehensive quality improvement processes in the school system such as coordination between school leaders and teachers or coordination between school leaders and school administration.

Method

Previous research on data feedback mainly used teacher surveys and self-reported teacher data. However, this has been criticized for producing poor information and only little knowledge on concrete processes of data use (Altrichter, 2010). Moreover, it is argued that data feedback use varies extensively within the group of teachers (Rolff, 2002) due to various individual and situation-specific influencing factors such as acceptance or data competence of the teacher (Maier, 2008). The newly introduced educational standards in Austria and their annual examination constitute an opportunity to extensively describe the process of data feedback use on different system levels (students, teacher, school leaders, school administration) thereby focusing on the interaction and cooperation between the hierarchical levels evoked by data feedback use. Particularly, the research will focus on coordination processes between actors in a school, specifically teachers and school leaders as well as teachers and students. Furthermore, interaction and coordination between school leaders and their administrations is examined. Thus, the research questions of this study will be addressed by qualitative research methods such as interviews and observation: Processing data feedback at schools will be addressed by accompanying the data use process in schools and schools administrations. Furthermore, all actors (such as teachers, school leaders and school administration) will be asked to participate in interviews in order to portray the interaction and cooperation between system levels.

Expected Outcomes

Data feedback research has proposed various measures how to improve usability of assessment data feedback for actors, including quality improvement of feedback reports, developing more acceptance and understanding of evidence-based governance mechanisms, stimulating awareness and acceptance of multi-level coordination of quality improvement, and, finally, providing support structures. However, there is no strategy on how data feedback use could be stimulated by encouraging cooperation and interaction of actors on and between various system levels. This study intends to provide ideas on how processes of interaction between different levels are coordinated and which groups are involved. It is expected to learn more about the coordination between teachers and school leaders, as well as teachers and students. It is also expected to gain insight to what extent feedback data is discussed between school levels such as within the group of school leaders and their administrations. Finally, it is to be discovered, to what extent support structures such as persons working in school development or persons providing statistical help to understand data feedback stimulate and motivate interaction and coordination processes.

References

Altrichter, H. (2010). Schul- und Unterrichtsentwicklung durch Datenrückmeldung. In H. Altrichter & K. Maag Merki (eds.), Handbuch Neue Steuerung im Schulsystem (S. 145-164). Wiesbaden: VS. Bonsen, M., Büchter, A., & Peek, R. (2006). Datengestützte Schul- und Unterrichts¬ent¬wicklung. In W. Bos, H.G. Holtappels, H. Pfeiffer, H.-G. Rolff & R. Schulz-Zander (eds.), Jahrbuch der Schulentwicklung. Band 14 (S. 125-148). Weinheim: Juventa. Eder, F., Haider, G., Specht, W., Spiel, C., & Wimmer, M. (2005). Abschlussbericht an Frau Bundesministerin Elisabeth Gehrer. Zusammenfassende Empfehlungen für Reformmaßnahmen. Salzburg: Bundesministeriums für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur. Grabensberger, E., Freudenthaler, H.H., & Specht, W. (2008). Bildungsstandards: Tes¬tungen und Ergebnisrückmeldungen auf der achten Schulstufe aus der Sicht der Praxis. Graz: bifie. Halbheer, U., & Reusser, K. (2008). Output-Steuerung, Accountability, Educational Go¬vernance – Einführung in die Geschichte, Begrifflichkeiten und Funktionen von Bildungsstandards. Beiträge zur Lehrerbildung, 26, 253-266. Gathen, J.v.d. (2006). Grenzen der innerschulischen Rezeption von Rückmeldungen aus Large-Scale-Assessments. Journal für Schulentwicklung, 10(4), 13-19. Groß Ophoff, J. (2013). Lernstandserhebungen. Reflexion und Nutzung. Münster: Waxmann. Hosenfeld, I., & Groß Ophoff, J. (2007). Nutzung und Nutzen von Evaluationsstudien in Schule und Unterricht. Empirische Pädagogik, 21, 352-367. Klieme, E. (2004). Begründung, Implementation und Wirkung von Bildungsstandards. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 50, 625-634. Maier, U. (2008). Rezeption und Nutzung von Vergleichsarbeiten aus der Perspektive von Lehrkräften. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 54, 95-117. Oelkers, J., & Reusser, K. (2008). Qualität entwickeln – Standards sichern – mit Differenz umgehen. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. Peek, R. (2004). Qualitätsuntersuchung an Schulen zum Unterricht in Mathematik (QuaSUM) – Klassenbezogene Ergebnisrückmeldung und ihre Rezeption in Brandenburger Schulen. Empirische Pädagogik, 18, 82-114. Rolff, H.-G. (2002). Rückmeldung und Nutzung der Ergebnisse von großflächigen Leistungsuntersuchungen. In H.-G. Rolff, H.G. Holtappels, K. Klemm, H. Pfeiffer & R. Schulz-Zander (eds.), Jahrbuch der Schulentwicklung. Band 12 (S. 75-98). Weinheim: Juventa.

Author Information

Julia Zuber (presenting / submitting)
Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

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