Principals’ use of data analytics in Finnish schools

Abstract

Data analytics is widely accepted as a crucial aspect of effective school leadership, yet its utilization by principals has not been thoroughly examined in scholarly works. The potential of Educational Data Mining Tools (EDM) to provide a "big picture" for principals to address equity gaps among students is overlooked in the literature. This article explores the practical applications of these tools by principals in Finnish schools through semi-structured interviews. The research focuses on understanding the functional aspects, challenges, and implications of their engagement with data analytics tools. Findings indicate that principals primarily employ data analytics tools for administrative tasks such as timetable allocation or budget allocation, they rarely use them to monitor student performance. Challenges such as being the sole responsible person for data analysis and inadequate data training hinder their effective use of these tools. Future research aims to extend this research by engaging more principals from various countries to identify commonalities and differences in data analytics adoption, revealing context-specific challenges and potential best practices. Such insights can inform global discussions on data use for effective school leadership and better integration of technology for this purpose. Ultimately, the insights gained from our study can contribute to significant aspects to be considered in the development of EDM tools for school principals.