The dashboard made me do it? The complex reality of factors shaping teachers' use of real-time student data visualised on dashboards in primary education

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the factors shaping primary school teachers’ use of real-time student data visualized on teacher dashboards. Using a multi-method design comprising classroom observations, a systematic review, qualitative interviews, large-scale quantitative modeling, and instrument development, five studies examined how dashboard information is translated into pedagogical action and which teacher- and context-related factors support this process. Findings show that dashboard availability alone does not lead to meaningful use. Teachers’ use is shaped by an interplay of data literacy, ICT knowledge and skills, ICT-related didactic self-efficacy, motivation, and perceived organizational and technological support. Real-time data places additional demands on teachers, including managing cognitive load, applying pedagogical expertise, and trusting the technology. Observational findings further showed that dashboard-prompted feedback occurred mainly during later lesson phases and varied primarily in timing rather than feedback type. The dissertation conceptualizes dashboard use as a series of in-lesson micro-cycles of noticing, interpreting, and acting on data. It also introduces and validates the Teacher Data Literacy Instrument (TDLI). Overall, effective dashboard use requires coherent alignment between teacher competencies, professional development, organizational conditions, and dashboard design.