Exploring Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Use of Learning Analytics for Educating Black and Hispanic Students in Low Socioeconomic Schools: A Multiple-Case Study

The purpose of this case study was to understand the role of learning analytics with teachers who develop the mathematics skills of Black and Hispanic elementary students in Title I schools. The theory that guided this study was Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, as it provides a framework for how new information can transform adults' thinking and actions. The central research question that guided the study was: How do elementary teachers in Title I schools use learning analytics to develop the mathematics skills of Black and Hispanic students? The study was conducted using a multiple-case study design. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were used to select 10 participants from a pool of general elementary teachers of kindergarten through sixth-grade students. Teacher participants from Title I schools in Illinois were recruited through Facebook from Illinois teacher-focused pages. Data were collected using interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups. Data was analyzed using coding and thematic synthesis. Eight themes emerged from data analysis: learning analytics strengths, issues and challenges, common data collection tools, limitations of data, instructional planning, teachers’ confidence in their learning and teaching abilities, teacher training and support, and racial impact on data and instruction. The findings of the study revealed that most teachers are confident and skilled in the use of learning analytics for mathematics instruction. Furthermore, students’ race is not a factor when teachers use learning analytics.