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Step 2: Gather data
Step 2: Gather data
Now that you have set your goals and made a plan for your priority, it is time to get to work! No matter what type of data source you have prioritised, it is important to consider correct data collection to ensure that you are getting the best quality data for your priority. If the data is gathered poorly, then your overall conclusions will also suffer.
At this step you may also find that you need to help others on your team to develop a better understanding of different types of data and how the data will be used further in the analysis and action steps. It is now that the data-driven decision making process slowly becomes a reality and not just an idea. It is time to gather evidence and people may have different feelings and reactions to this process. Therefore, it is important to reflect on the general 'data culture' of your school and consider how the interactions between people in your school determine how data is used and what data is used. There may be bias about certain types of data, there may be fear that certain data will reflect badly on people, there may be a general 'going with the flow' but with a lack of understanding why this process is underway.
School leaders need to set the tone of positive data use, be a model for their teachers, and plan and support teachers in learning about data use.
1. Choose the right data source
1. Choose the right data source
When thinking about the data that will give you the best insights into your priority it is important to consider a wide range of data sources. This means collecting qualitative and quantitative data. In most cases, it will be that data is already being systematically collected and already available for the analysis. However, there might be some data that could be very useful, but has not yet been systematically collected. In this case you may need to spend the time organising and collecting the data that will give you the best insights into your topic. Overall, there are two types of data - qualitative and quantitative - that you can gather on organisational, school and classroom level.
Additionally, it is crucial that the data you gather always need to be related to the previously chosen priority and the goals that you are trying to achieve.
To find out more about data-literacy and different sources of data, please read the section on 'Data-literacy'.
Together with your team do the data inventory and answer questions provided in the worksheet.
Together with your team think about your chosen priority and answer the questions in the provided worksheet.
Together with your team think about your data gathering plan and answer the questions provided in the worksheet.
2. Check the quality of your data
2. Check the quality of your data
ACCESSIBLE - data must be available to those who need to access it. This means implementing a system to keep data organised that is easy for everyone to use.
TIMELY - data must be to be up to date and relevant to the current students' learning needs.
MULTIPLE SOURCES (DATA TRIANGULATION) - data must be of various sources so that you are able to identify the root cause of the problem.
ACCURATE - data must not be misleading or out of range. It should be checked by different people for any errors that may affect data's accuracy, reliability and validity.
VALID - refers to the truthfulness of a measurement. 'Are we exploring what we think we are?' It is extremely difficult to determine if data is valid, hence, there must be an adequate coverage of each area that is explored.
REALIABLE - repeatability of the data.
RELEVANT - data must be linked to the priority you are working towards and give information on the students and teachers involved in teaching and learning.
Representative sample
Complete
Together with your team discuss the quality of the data you have gathered and answer the questions provided in the worksheet.
RECOMMENDATIONS for DATA gathering
RECOMMENDATIONS for DATA gathering
Priority
Review your priority and make sure your chosen data collection methods are aligned with it
Review tips and guidelines for the collection methods you have chosen to make sure you have taken into account best practice strategies
Collaboration
Talk to you colleagues about the goals of the priority and what you hope to achieve
Fine-tune the priority goals if necessary
Get colleagues' understanding and support
Get feedback from others about their previous experience if possible
Logistics
Decide when the data collection will take place. Take into account the workload of participants. Be mindful not to organise the collection when respondents are especially busy with other tasks, for example during exams
Plan enough time for preparation, data collection and data analysis, so you can make sure you are getting quality data
Think about what technology you will need and plan ahead. Be prepared for any technical difficulties that may arise during data collection
Communication
Inform the stakeholders about the priority goal. Explain why you are collecting the data
Emphasise the importance of honest feedback
Inform participants whether the data collected is anonymous or not
Inform the participants about deadlines
Keep your promises
Having done the data gathering, you can proceed to the next section:
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