How does information consistency influence prospective teachers’ decisions about task difficulty assignments? A within-subject experiment to explain data-based decision-making in heterogeneous classes

• Published in: Learning and instruction Vol. 74; p. 101440
• Main Authors: Kärner, Tobias, Warwas, Julia, Krannich, Maike, Weichsler, Niklas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Information consistency; Information processing; Mixed-methods approach; Proximal and distal performance indicators; Task difficulty assignment; Task difficulty assignment; Mixed-methods approach; Information processing; Proximal and distal performance indicators; Information consistency
• ISSN: 0959-4752; 1873-3263
• DOI: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101440

In order to provide adaptive instruction in heterogeneous classes, teachers have to consider performance-related information for their decisions on which task difficulty level fits best for a particular student. Focusing on prospective teachers’ data-based decision-making, we aim to investigate their use of proximal and distal indicators of students’ ability and readiness to deal successfully with domain-specific tasks that are available for 32 student cases in a digital test environment. To address several hypotheses on the participants’ information-processing behaviors and decisions, we conducted a within-subject experiment in which we systematically varied the informational consistency of the presented student cases. We used a mixed-methods approach to measure observable information-processing behavior and decision-making. We assessed the effects of consistent/inconsistent cases on the amount, sequence, and perceived relevance of selected information, the type of processed information, the time needed for information processing, and the subjective confidence when making a decision via linear dynamic panel-data modeling. •Assigned task difficulty depended on proximal and distal indicators of ability and readiness.•Information consistency affected subjective judgemental certainty.•Information consistency affected information-processing time.•Dealing with inconsistent cases did not induce searches for more information.