Open research questions in Educational Assessment and Improvement

What the literature leaves open

• While perspectives of SETs effectiveness as a measure of teaching quality remains debated, current SoTL work suggests that when used in different contexts and with additional sources of evidence on teaching and learning practices, SETs can offer a range of quantitative and qualitative data.

  What and How: Investigating the Use of Student Evaluations in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research · 2026 · DOI

• regression analysis has been done to discover the correlation between research variables. With the following general regression question, to know this correlation was: to Y=β0+β1X1+β2X2+β3X3+⋯+βnXn+ε Where: Y = Dependent variables (outcome you are predicting) X1,X2,Xn = Independent variables (predictors) ε = Error term (unexplained variation in Y) In this study, the researcher used qualitative data analysis software known as Vivo. The qualitative data collected through interviews were scrutinised utilising systematic methods to assess themes, as well as insights related to result-based monitoring and evaluation. In this regard, all interviews were transcribed verbatim to ensure an accurate record of responses. Each labelled with participant details (role and experiences) for easy reference. A coding framework was created based on research objectives, interview questions, and key topics. Moreover, common ideas emerging from multiple interviewees were clustered into themes looked for agreements, where contradictions or new insights among different transcript was the researcher 260 | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, Volume 9, Issue 2, 2026 Article DOI : https://doi.org/10.37284/eajass.9.2.4890 respondents. The findings aligned with the study’s key focus areas to ensure relevance.

  Effectiveness of Result-Based Monitoring and Evaluation on School Performance in Public Secondary Schools of Rulindo District, Rwanda · 2026 · DOI

• • First, the research is limited to public schools in Rulindo District, which may restrict the extent to which the findings can be applied to other schools operating under different environments, administrative resource frameworks. To counter this, the study will carefully describe the context of the schools to allow cautious interpretation of the findings for similar settings. capacities, or • Second, the accuracy and completeness of available data on RBM&E practices could constrain the study, as gaps or inconsistencies in institutional records may affect the reliability of the analysis. To mitigate this, the researcher will cross-check data from multiple sources and validate information through interviews with staff and administrators. • Third, response bias may pose a challenge if participants, particularly staff or administrators, choose not to provide candid information due to concerns about possible negative consequences.

  Effectiveness of Result-Based Monitoring and Evaluation on School Performance in Public Secondary Schools of Rulindo District, Rwanda · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the findings, the following recommendations are made:  School administrators should ensure that teachers are actively involved in decisionmaking processes, particularly in areas of discipline, sports and games, and timetable scheduling, to promote shared responsibility and improve administrative effectiveness in public senior secondary schools.  The Ministry of Education and school management boards should establish formal structures such as functional committees and regular consultative meetings that 257 encourage meaningful implementation. teacher participation in school governance and policy  Regular capacity-building programmes such as workshops and seminars should be organized for teachers to enhance their leadership, planning, and decision-making skills, enabling them to contribute more effectively to school administration processes. REFERENCES Bailey, R. (2006). Physical education and sport in schools: A review of benefits and outcomes. Journal of School Health, 76(8), 397-401. Bucher, C. A., & Krotee, M. L. (2016). Management of physical education and sport (17th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Bush, T. (2015). Theories of educational leadership and management (4th ed.). Sage Publications. Ceschia, S., Di Gaspero, L., & Schaerf, A. (2022). Educational timetabling: Problems, benchmarks, and state-of-the-art results. arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.07525. Cherotich, K. P., Mutahi, N. K., Bomet, E. J., & Lugulu, J. (2023). Teachers‟ participation in decision making and students‟ academic performance in secondary schools. East African Journal of Education Studies, 6(1), 45-56. Coakley, J. (2015). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Cotton, K. (2000). The schooling practices that matter most. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Emmer, E. T., & Sabornie, E. J. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of classroom management (2nd ed.). Routledge. Epstein, J. L. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools (2nd ed.). Westview Press. Harris, A. (2013). Distributed leadership: Friend or foe? Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 41(5), 545-554. Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2013). Educational administration: Theory, research, and practice (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Inegbedion, H. E., Adeyemi, S. O., Akintimehin, O., & Eluyela, D. (2020). Teachers‟ time utilisation and students‟ enrolment in school certificate examination: Implication for school leadership. Heliyon, 6(9), e04892. Leithwood, K., & Mascall, B. (2008). Collective leadership effects on student achievement. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(4), 529-561. Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). The decision-making process.

  TEACHERS' PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL-BASED DECISION-MAKING IN DISCIPLINE, SPORTS AND TIMETABLE SCHEDULING AS PREDICTORS OF EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATE · 2026 · DOI

• This work represents a fundamental shift toward treating assessment as rigor- ous educational inquiry rather than compliance theater. While our findings reveal the complexity of measuring learning—modest gains, null effects, and the persis- tent influence of prior preparation—they also demonstrate the value of sustained, methodologically sophisticated investigation. The real promise lies not in any sin- gle study’s results, but in building institutional capacity for ongoing, evidence-based reflection on educational practice. This work reframes assessment as sustained institutional inquiry into how, when, and for whom learning occurs. Demonstrating educational value requires acknowl- edging that meaningful insights often emerge from modest or null findings and acting on what evidence reveals. Though the gains reported here are limited, they illustrate the type of inquiry needed to understand and improve learning outcomes authentically. The learning evidence ecosystem offers a path forward—preserving accountability functions while transforming assessment into a research engine that generates actionable insights. In doing so, institutions can move beyond compliance toward evidence-based reflection and change, strengthening both educational quality and public confidence in higher education’s purpose. In an era when higher education faces legitimate questions about value and effec- tiveness, institutions cannot rely solely on economic metrics or reputation to jus- tify their mission. By building assessment systems that document authentic learn- ing, involve decision-makers in interpreting results, and share findings, colleges can restore public confidence while strengthening their own educational core. Such transparency does not diminish higher education’s promise—it fulfills it, demon- strating that student learning remains its defining value. Authors Contributions All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Data cleaning, analysis, and results interpretation were led by Joseph M. Kush and Laura A. Lambert. Megan Rodgers Good wrote the literature review and discussion sections. Bethany Blackstone contributed the honors pro- gram content and provided comprehensive editorial feedback and refinement. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. Funding The authors received no financial support from any organization for the research, authorship, or publication of this study. Data Availability Data available pending approval through James Madison University.

  Building a Learning Evidence Ecosystem: A Partnership Model for Institutional Assessment · 2026 · DOI

•      Teachers should actively participate in LAC sessions and apply the strategies learned to improve classroom management and instructional outcomes. Structured follow-ups and mentorship can support this process. Schools should promote collaboration through co-teaching, peer observation, and sharing of teaching resources. Clear schedules and protocols can enhance consistent teamwork and professional growth. Reflective practices should be systematically encouraged, using tools like journals, checklists, and discussion sessions, allowing teachers to evaluate instructional effectiveness and plan improvements. Teachers should attend professional development programs, workshops, and seminars on advanced instructional strategies, classroom management, and innovative teaching practices to stay updated and improve competence. School administrators should provide sufficient instructional materials, resources, and structured support. Monitoring systems can assess teacher performance, classroom management, and the effectiveness of strategies learned from LAC sessions.

  Implementation of learning action cell engagement on the classroom management skills by the public elementary school teachers · 2026 · DOI

• At present, there are issues such as limited cognitive integration of disciplines, where teachers merely intersperse scattered knowledge points; a lack of systematic teaching practice, with arbitrary activity design and disorderly implementation; and insufficient resource integration, including a lack of classification guidance in school libraries and under-explored online resources.

  Research on the Implementation Path of Interdisciplinary Thematic Learning Activities in Junior High School History · 2025 · DOI

• While educators are encouraged to engage in different forms of inquiry to learn from students’ data to make instructional and school improvements, limited literature has investigated empirically how they make sense of the information when working collaboratively in grade-level or subject area teams.

  Data team conversations: a sensemaking framework of teachers’ collaborative use of student data · 2025 · DOI

• There is paucity in empirical research within Australia on the practice of data use within schools; research is lacking on data interactions among school leaders in their workplace settings (Coburn & Turner, 2012).

  Exploring leadership influence within data-informed decision-making practices in Australian independent schools · 2022 · DOI

• We highlight the lack of evidence particularly for preschool and school-aged children and the disparate communities working in this domain, and we suggest a more cohesive approach, where the wider learning and educational ecosystem is recognized, explicit engagement with ethical theory is central, and mid- to long-term ethical issues are considered alongside immediate concerns.

  The Ethics of Using Digital Trace Data in Education: A Thematic Review of the Research Landscape · 2021 · DOI

• The following chapter focuses on (a) why higher education should embrace analytics, (b) discusses areas where analytical advancements have occurred, (c) discusses areas where analytical growth is lacking, and (d) provides guidance on addressing cultural changes concerning institutional data use, policies, and practices.

  Real‐Time Data and Predictive Analytics: Where Does IR Fit? · 2020 · DOI

• The information literacy instruction (ILI) that occurs during a spontaneous information interaction, such as at the reference desk, is not clearly defined and not extensively researched.

  Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge: A Framework for Analyzing Point-of-Need Information Literacy Instruction · 2019 · DOI

• Although the concept of interdisciplinary teams utilizing CPT has been identified since the 1960s, until recently, there has been limited research on the effective use of this time (Cook & Faulkner, 2010).

  A National Study of Common Planning Time Activities · 2018 · DOI

• The lack of evidence on the importance of the features of teacher preparation is primarily due to data deficiencies: data often do not permit connections between TPP features and teacher workforce outcomes.

  Evidence-Based Teacher Preparation: Policy Context and What We Know · 2018 · DOI

• What is lacking, however, are discussions in public administration pedagogy about conceptual understandings regarding the use of computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), pedagogical strategies, and student and faculty perspectives and experiences about the use of such software programs.

  Integrating Qualitative Data Analysis Software into Doctoral Public Administration Education · 2017 · DOI

• Even though teachers expressed a belief that involving students in data use would motivate students, they often enacted potentially demotivating, performance-oriented classroom structures: sharing data publically, comparing results with others, focusing on status, and providing limited feedback/support on how to close gaps in knowledge.

  Trickle-Down Accountability · 2014 · DOI

• Response to Intervention (RTI) is a popular if controversial initiative developed largely in the USA, but which is, as yet, little known in general education in Australia.

  Response to intervention: Accountability in action · 2012 · DOI

• Over the last fifteen years the complexities of using action research in schools have been well documented (Calhoun, 1993; Crawford & Cornett, 2000; Morton, 2005; Sagor, 1995); however, few studies have explored the effects of prolonged action research engagement on schools (Folkman, 2002; Wagner, 1999).

  Sustaining Teachers' Growth and Renewal through Action Research, Induction Programs, and Collaboration. · 2010

• While the literature on education reform has called for increased teacher participation in decision making, little is known about the decision participation construct itself Previous research in this area may be categorized according to the approach taken with respect to the conceptualization and operationalization of participation in decision making.

  The Dimensionality of Decision Participation in Educational Organizations: The Value of a Multi-Domain Evaluative Approach · 1990 · DOI

• I n the previous section we attempted to demonstrate the potential utility of community structure data. We tried t o go beyond the descriptive function of data to illustrate t h a t i t can provide us with information on events and processes occurring within communities. DATA BANKS I n short, we feel there is a wide range of uses for community data. Most of them are not currently being exploited, despite the sufficiently large body of community research showing just how community characteristics are related t o adoption of new programs, response to certain issues, passage of referenda, community conflict, and to community behavior in general. Boulding argues that "in order to use information systems, one must have a certain amount of information t o begin with." 191 It is precisely this point we hope t o emphasize in the following set of recommendations. Using community research to illustrate our arguments, we will present suggestions for incorporating a training component into a data retrieval system. Essentially, our argument is t h a t data systems should incorporate both a n educational and a descriptive function, and with higher priority on the educational. There is considerable demand for descriptive data for various units. It is not likely t h a t sufficient resources can be found to provide the types of information needed for an adequate data bank for all units of analysis, that is, for communities, counties, townships, geographical or economic areas, or what have you. Therefore, a n initial choice of what unit ( s), as well a s utility of the unit for data users, must be made. I n Illinois the most frequently requested data are for communities and counties. Our proposed data program calls for providing descriptive data on all counties and on communities of 2,500 population and over. Initially we are assembling the more readily available census data, and later will add data from previous census years and from other sources. Eventually we hope t o collect and make available data from some of the lesser used sources, such a s t h a t collected from private and state agencies. Our experience has shown that state agencies such a s the Transportation Department, regional planning groups, and private firms collect extensive data on communities, including much Downloaded by [University of Birmingham] at 13:21 20 March 2015 that is unavailable from other sources. Unfortunately, too much effort has been expanded on collecting new data, and too little effort, in Illinois or elsewhere, has been spent on field work to search out private and State sponsored data operations and, more importantly, on determining ways of getting access to the data.

  A Community Structure Approach to Data Collection and Recommendations for Use of Data Banks · 1972 · DOI

• (2003), in a study of 250 teachers and principals in schools across six Southeastern US states found that results were mixed:Although high-stakes accountability systems help focus professional development efforts on the curricular needs of students, little evidence exists to support the claim that such systems help teachers change their practice to enhance student learning.

  Accountability Requirements and Professional Development in the US Adult Basic and Literacy Education System · 1970 · DOI

• From a policy perspective, this variation underscores that reliance on teacher resilience alone is insufficient to close the implementation gap.

  In-Service Science Teachers’ Understanding and Classroom Implementation of Inquiry-Based Teaching in Turkey: A Multi-Case Qualitative Study · 2026 · DOI

• , low response rates, limited data points, imbalance in sample sizes) and perceptions of bias in student responses (27.

  What and How: Investigating the Use of Student Evaluations in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research · 2026 · DOI

• Yet the fate of IES remains uncertain as I write this, on day 37 of the longest government shutdown in our nation's history.

  Presidential Essay: AEFP’s Role in an Evidence-Informed Education Ecosystem · 2026 · DOI

• Key barriers include fragmented data infrastructures, limited data literacy among leaders, tensions between managerial metrics and academic values, and resistance to externally imposed performance frameworks.

  Educational Leadership for Evidence-Informed Higher Education in Europe: A Review of Policies and Practices · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Educational Assessment and Improvement

• Interventions Promoting Educators’ Use of Data: Research Insights and Gaps · Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education · 2012 · 249 citations
• Building a Conceptual Framework for Data Literacy · Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education · 2015 · 201 citations
• Teachers’ Sensemaking of Data and Implications for Equity · American Educational Research Journal · 2015 · 167 citations
• Big data in education: a state of the art, limitations, and future research directions · International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education · 2020 · 155 citations
• Principles of Collaborative Education Research With Stakeholders: Toward Requirements for a New Research and Development Infrastructure · Review of Educational Research · 2020 · 132 citations
• Netflixing human capital development: personalized learning technology and the corporatization of K-12 education · Journal of Education Policy · 2016 · 132 citations
• Affordances and constraints in the context of teacher collaboration for the purpose of data use · Journal of Educational Administration · 2013 · 112 citations
• Using Data to Alter Instructional Practice: The Mediating Role of Coaches and Professional Learning Communities · Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education · 2015 · 111 citations
• A Call for a Humanistic Stance Toward K–12 Data Science Education · Educational Researcher · 2021 · 97 citations
• The Ethics of Using Digital Trace Data in Education: A Thematic Review of the Research Landscape · Review of Educational Research · 2021 · 91 citations

Most recent work

• Discourses of data literacy: A critical literature review. An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper · Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology · 2026
• Transformative Mixed Methods Design-Based Research: Toward Developing Disciplinary Literacy Intervention for Students With Learning Differences · Journal of Mixed Methods Research · 2026
• Plants and Crocodiles · Science and Children · 2026
• Data Science Education in U.S. Informal Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature · Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education · 2026
• Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Data-Based Decision Making and Instruction in Mathematics · Action in Teacher Education · 2026
• Leveraging School Systems as Data Partners to Advance Health Equity · New England Journal of Medicine · 2026
• Implementation of learning action cell engagement on the classroom management skills by the public elementary school teachers · International Journal of Research Studies in Education · 2026
• Teachers’ Experiences in Learning Action Cells (LAC) as a Basis for Enhancing Professional Growth at Lagundi-CCL National High School · International Journal of Sustainability and Advanced Integrated Research · 2026
• Building a Learning Evidence Ecosystem: A Partnership Model for Institutional Assessment · Innovative Higher Education · 2026
• Tracing Pre-Service Teachers’ Research Literacy Across Coursework and Practicum: A Qualitative Case Study · Erzincan Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi · 2026

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