Chapter 6: Which Data Do Principals and Teachers Use to Inform Their Practice?: Evidence From Germany With a Focus on the Influence of School Culture

Following insufficient results in student assessments, educational policy called on educators for data use and evidence-informed practice. Nevertheless, little is known about what sources of information are particularly used by practitioners. Research indicates that data use is influenced by individual beliefs and context variables, such as school culture. Drawing on findings from a mixed methods study, the article investigates the use of different sources of evidence-based information. School leaders (N = 297) and teachers (N = 1,230) in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate were surveyed by means of standardized questionnaires. Results showed that practitioners mainly focused on internal sources of information, such as student feedback or collaborative measures, whereas key policy instruments of standards-based reform, for example recently implemented statewide comparative tests and school inspections, seemed to be less important. Moreover, there were significant positive correlations between a cooperative and innovative school culture and the use of internally obtained data.