Student guidance decisions at team meetings: do teachers use data for rational decision making?

In the past decade, the belief has grown that student guidance decisions can benefit from systematic data use. Systematic data use can be considered as completing the circle of inquiry (from data discussion to interpretation, to analysis, diagnosis, and action) with a reasonable depth. However, little is known about how teachers use data to inform student guidance decisions. This qualitative study analyzed the field notes of 17 teachers’ meetings that were intended to formulate student guidance decisions in secondary education. The results showed that data were used only sporadically and often not in a systematic way. Moreover, the depth of inquiry in formulating diagnoses on poor student functioning was low. These results indicate a need to raise awareness among teachers and policymakers on the stepwise and self-questioning process that data use should be in order to be effective.