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Examination of the Nu Data Knowledge Scale

Jonathon Sikorski, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

There is a pervasive need for school systems to empirically and reliably assess the data literacy and data use skills of their educators (Ingram et al., 2004). With the federal government holding states and school districts accountable for student achievement and the increased emphasis of high stakes testing in schools, it is also critical to be able to precisely and accurately assess the skill and knowledge level of educators by measuring their overall data literacy. Disentangling these skills and abilities is a difficult task and, to date, no empirical measure of data literacy has been established. A strong measure of data literacy would have an empirical evidence base, have items that are reliable and internally consistent, and be recognized by experts in the scientific community as being empirically valid and conceptually sound. The focus of this dissertation is the development of the NU Data Knowledge Scale: A measure of teachers’ data use skills and knowledge. The psychometric properties of the NU Data Knowledge Scale were thoroughly examined in this dissertation. First, the test items were based off the databasics, and were independently categorized by subject matter experts. The measure was revised based off of the recommendation of the subject matter experts. The survey was sent to 215 rural Nebraskan teachers along with a demographics section and “Comfort with Data Use” questionnaire. The psychometric properties of the measure were discussed that related the internal consistency, item-total correlations, item difficulty, and item discrimination. The dimensionality of the scale was explored using weighted least means squares analysis and the factor solution was determined by computing a parallel analysis. Fourteen predictors of teacher data literacy were then analyzed through an all possible regression procedure and the top model was chosen based off the Mallow’s Cp and adjusted R2. Overall, the NU Data Knowledge Scale was found to be a single factor measure of data literacy. The predictors included in this model, though significant, did not provide practical significance in predicting scores on the measure. The limitations of the study, direction for future search, and implications for future practice are discussed.

Subject Area

Educational evaluation|Education Policy|Teacher education|Demography

Recommended Citation

Sikorski, Jonathon, "Examination of the Nu Data Knowledge Scale" (2016). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI10125684.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI10125684

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