Educational Leadership Efficacy: The Relationship between Data Use, Data Use Confidence, Leadership Efficacy, and Student Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between how educational leaders use data, levels of leadership efficacy with which they use data, and the relationship between data use, efficacy toward data use, and student achievement in K-12 school settings. Also, the purpose of this study was to understand how data practices and data-driven cultures are being established and utilized by educational leaders in different leadership positions at K-12 schools and school districts.

This study utilized a mixed-methods research design to answer six quantitative and two qualitative research questions. For the six quantitative research questions, the researcher employed a correlational research design to determine if correlational relationships exist between leadership efficacy, data use confidence, data use, and student achievement. For the two qualitative research questions, the researcher employed grounded theory to code the data gathered thematically.

The quantitative data results indicated that several relationships existed among several of the variables utilized for this study: data use confidence and educational leadership efficacy; educational leadership efficacy and data use; and data use and data use confidence. However, data use confidence, data use, and efficacy did not have a relationship with the student achievement variable. Qualitative findings demonstrated how educational leaders have the responsibility and obligation to implement, mandate, and model data-driven cultures. In addition, qualitative findings indicated that educational leaders perceived data practices as driving decision making for instructional and school improvement. Lastly, qualitative findings found several constraints, such as the lack of time, lack of capacity to use data, and resistance from staff and teachers impeded the use of data and data practices by educational leaders in K-12 schools and districts.