How Various Forms of Data Affect Teacher Analysis of Student Performance

Abstract

Special education teachers are routinely taught to collect and analyze student performance data. Data collection and analysis are assumed to be necessary for accurate analysis of three possible trends: (a) an upward trend (when performance improves), (b) a level trend (when performance remains the same), and (c) a downward trend (when performance worsens). Few studies have examined the accuracy of trend analysis when teachers simply observe consecutive training sessions, nor has there been sufficient comparison of the accuracy of trend analysis based on various forms of data (e.g., raw data vs. data in graphic form). The present study examined the effects of observation and various forms of data on teachers' ability to accurately analyze trends. A 2-factor experimental design was used with 4 groups of randomly assigned subjects. Subjects analyzed 15 samples of videotaped student performance. All subjects viewed the tapes with or without additional forms of data and made judgments regarding the trend of student performance following exposure to each sample. The data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA. Both the main effect for form of data and the interaction between form of data and type of trend were statistically significant beyond the .01 level. All subjects were able to accurately analyze upward trends in performance, but data were required to accurately analyze level and downward trends. These results are interpreted as support for the practice of training teachers to collect and analyze student performance data.

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