INTRODUCTION 

• Managing data is essential for teachers especially in this 21^st century teaching. There are many types of data that teachers need to gather and analyze to improve the quality of teaching in the classroom such as formative and summative assessments, attendance and learning objectives outcome as well as students learning disciplines. 
• Teachers need to acquire the knowledge and skills of managing data. One of the skills is managing data-driven instruction.

WHAT IS DATA-DRIVEN INSTRUCTION?

• Linda Thompson described data-driven instruction is the gathering and collection of data from a database about students learning in each classroom and using the information to improve teaching quality. 
• The data-driven process is effective because it helps to improve students’ achievement.

She mentioned that there are three steps of data-driven instruction.

1. Data collection: Subject teachers need to gather information based on various students assessments such as formative assessments or diagnostic test and create a database on the information gathered.
2. Data analysis: Subject teachers need to separate the essential information from the non-essential information depending on the purpose use of the data. Teachers need to analyze the data in depth. For instance, teachers should look for the strengths and weaknesses of the learning skills taught, topics or learning objectives and content achievements as well as students scoring. Then, teachers may come up with conclusions and formulate teaching plans.
3. Action: Subject teachers need to use the data analysis feedbacks to plan instructions either to move on to the next topic or to re-teach the topics that students still do not understand.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA-DRIVEN IN CLASSROOM TEACHING AND LEARNING

• Ensuring every student to learn is one of the sole objectives in education.  
• Gathering and using information about what students have been learned and what students need to learn is essential in order to achieve the sole objective.
•  Data-driven instruction comes in not for students’ readiness and need but mainly to provide the best teaching instruction to students as individual learners.
• In a classroom, data comes into two forms; formative and summative. Formative data can be gathered as teaching and learning takes place while summative data is gathered at the end of a learning period. For example middle or end of term which has been pre-determined by the school leader. 
• Teachers collect both forms of data and analyze it to look for effective patterns of success and need such as designing lesson to meet student’s need. (Lisa, 2019)

HOW DATA-DRIVEN INSTRUCTION HELP TO DESIGN LESSON?

Gathering and analyzing data can be overwhelming and time consuming. However, it is critical for meeting the needs of students’ learning. 

Below are simple steps to help teachers into data-driven instruction.

• Choose a subject as the first start.
• Teacher needs to decide the skills and knowledge that students want to know. For example in reading and comprehension, the knowledge will to enable students to read and understand the reading text.
• Teacher also needs to determine what data to collect and how to collect it. For example gathering data using template format from formative assessment in classroom for learning objectives’ achievements.
• Teacher needs to narrow the focus on the concepts or skills that the students need to gain.
• After gathering and analyzing the data, the data will tell teacher to move on teaching, teach the topic or concept again or do remedials. Here, the adjustments on teacher’s instruction in classroom learning will help to improve students’ learning and  will make the end results better. 

 REQUIREMENTS TO ACHIEVE GOOD DATA-DRIVEN INSTRUCTION  

There are many requirements needed to achieve good data-driven instruction such as:

•  Baseline data: Baseline data enables to state where students are at the beginning of the year and it often comes from prior final term exam. The data acts as the Take-off Value (TOV) which is valid and reliable.
• Clear goals: Clear goals must be set to enable teachers to know what students are expected to learn and to achieve. The goals must be specific, measurable and related to the school or state standards and grade-level target expectations. The reason is to improve students’ performance in learning the subjects either at school, district or state levels. Example, to raise the subject scoring from 70 percent to 90 percent by the end of the year.
• Regular assessments: Regular assessments are required for the Operational Targeted Increment (OTI) especially through classroom formative assessments will act as evidence about students’ progress in knowledge and skills. The assessment results will also act as a bench mark to students’ progress across the school year.
• Well focused and well planned instruction: A well focused and well planned instruction can be done based on the evidence. Teachers can prepare their lesson instructions based on what students know and are able to do as well as what they still need to learn. (Linda Thompson)

CONCLUSION

• Generally, data driven instruction is vital especially during the 21^st century learning. The gathering and analyzing data will help teachers to improve classroom instruction, will provide high quality in teaching and learning and will boost subject results at the end of the year.
• It is suggested that all teachers need to acquire the knowledge and skills of data-driven instruction. Therefore, school leaders are encouraged to carry out professional development training in order to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills relating to data-driven instruction.

Disclaimer: This piece of writing is general and is only for reading and sharing purposes. It does not relate to any policy as stipulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Reference:

• Principles of Data-Driven Instruction Linda Thompson docplayer.net
• Data Driven Instruction: Definition and 11 Strategies Maria Kempen, 2019 prodigygame.com
• Using Data-Driven in Your Classroom. Classroom Management Technology Lisa Sheehan, 2019  blog.advancementcourses.som