Visual Analysis of Student Evaluation Data: A Qualitative Analysis of Teacher Decision Making

Visual analysis of graphically displayed data typically is used by teachers of persons with severe disabilities to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions. Although the use of this process is widely advocated as a desirable educational practice, recent research indicates that levels of interrater agreement are unacceptably low. To examine the variables that influence the decisions made during visual appraisal in classroom settings, qualitative interviews were conducted with special education teachers. The implications of these results for teachers who collect and analyze student performance data in a classroom setting are discussed.