introduction to data
What is data?
Data is any piece of information from which conclusions can be drawn.
Every piece of data involves people - those who collect and those about whom data is collected. It is important to remember that on both sides we have human beings.
is data only numbers?
Data can be numbers or it can be stories or pictures or any input that helps understand our world better. Going beyond just numbers helps give a more complete picture of what works, what doesn’t – and why: how the process of change unfolded in the lives of participants, why some participants succeed while others did not.
WHAT FORMS DO DATA TAKE?
Data can take many forms. When we think of the context of our work with students, it is important to remember that data is not limited to test scores. Data also encompasses teacher judgement, student work samples, classroom observation, and results of socioemotional skills surveys, interviews or focus groups. A combination of these types of data is most effective in generating powerful evidence to assess student performance and improve practice.
What are the types of data?
Broadly, there are two types of data:
Quantitative data is always numerical and is used to find out a quantity, such as how much, how many or how often. It aims to be objective and is analysed using mathematical and statistical methods. It can be collected via a range of methods such as observation, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, assessments or tests. Surveys are quantitative if they involve rating things on a numerical scale or counting responses.
Qualitative data can be derived from in-depth interviews, observations, surveys or questionnaires. Qualitative research seeks to answer questions about how and why things have happened. Surveys collect qualitative data if they involve asking people for detailed (free-text) responses.
thinking critically about data
As we work alongside students and communities across different contexts, it is important for us to examine the idea of evidence and the methods used to get to that evidence. We need to think about who should and could benefit from the assessments and research we are conducting, what would it mean for divergent ways of learning to be incorporated into assessment methods, and what does it mean to be culturally appropriate and effective for the students, teachers and the community.
We also need to think about the invisible and visible power of assessments and evaluation processes in the context that we operate in. While these efforts can foster inclusion, when they lack explicit attention to inequities in school or the broader society they can also promote assimilation, participatory citizenship, and symbolic (voice and no choice) youth involvement.