The roles of collaborative professional development, self-efficacy, and positive affect in encouraging educator data use to aid student learning.

This research tests a hypothesized model that links collaborative data-use professional development experiences and successful use of student data to aid instruction. A serial, regression-based mediation model is tested (from professional development to self-efficacy, to positive affect, to successful use of data). Survey data from over 200 K–12 educators from across the United States were collected; the sample reflected a purposeful quota based on age and gender. The hypothesized model was supported. In all, the analyses demonstrate the importance of collaborative learning in professional development experiences related to use of student data. Professional development providers can use this knowledge to design more effective experiences. Similarly, school leaders and teacher coaches can use this knowledge to guide educators to experiences that are likely to result in the development of data-use skills to aid in classroom instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]