Date of Award
12-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Education
Committee Chair
Dr. David Lee
Committee Chair School
Education
Committee Member 2
Dr. Danny Guillory
Committee Member 2 School
Education
Committee Member 3
Dr. Jay Howell
Committee Member 3 School
Education
Committee Member 4
Dr. Thomas Lipscomb
Abstract
This quantitative study examined the factors influencing Mississippi state-tested teachers’ engagement in data-based decision-making (DBDM). The purpose of the study was to explore how self-efficacy, anxiety, and school culture shape teachers’ experiences using data to guide instruction. A researcher-developed instrument measuring four constructs self-efficacy in data interpretation, anxiety related to DBDM, self-efficacy and engagement in DBDM, and school culture and DBDM was administered to Mississippi teachers of state-tested subjects. Descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data.
Results revealed significant differences in demographic characteristics of age and frequency of data use when engaging in DBDM. Correlation analysis indicated that teachers reporting lower levels of self-efficacy in data interpretation experienced higher levels of anxiety when using data. Further analysis revealed that this anxiety was tied more to accountability pressures than to the actual process of using data to make instructional decisions. Regression results also demonstrated that school culture factors were associated with teachers’ engagement in DBDM. These findings suggest that teachers’ confidence, comfort, and organizational context all play critical roles in their data use practices. Implications highlight the importance of fostering supportive school cultures and providing ongoing, targeted professional development to strengthen teachers’ confidence and consistency in using data to improve student learning outcomes.
Copyright
Cymone E. Bradford, 2025
Recommended Citation
Bradford, Cymone E., "Factors Shaping Data-Based Decision-Making: The Role of Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and School Culture in Mississippi’s State Tested Subjects" (2025). Dissertations. 2423.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2423