Han Yu

Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

International Educational Leadership

Department or School/College

Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Committee Chair

John Matt

Commitee Members

William P. McCaw, Erica Allen, Patty Kero, Zhen Cao

Keywords

Big Data Analytics Readiness, Data-Enterprise-Leadership-Target-Technology-Analysts (DELTTA) Model, Educational leadership, International Scholarly Exchange Curriculum (ISEC), Non-experimental causal-comparative study

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate differences and predictors of Big Data Analytics (BDA) readiness among teachers in Chinese ISEC member universities participating in internationalization programs (ISEC) and those not. The research highlighted the global demand for data analytics skills and the uneven distribution of talents, noting the understudied nature of data analytics research in education compared to fields like business, medicine, and engineering based on Web of Science data. Emphasis was placed on BDA's crucial role in improving teaching quality and decision-making processes in education. Addressing challenges in implementing data analytics in higher education, the study emphasized factors such as recent internationalization initiatives, cross-cultural proficiency, suitable leadership support, and data ethics influencing data analytics skills development.

Utilizing the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and Data-Enterprise-Leadership-Target-Technology-Analysts (DELTTA) model, the DELTTA instrument was adopted to measure faculty BDA readiness and proposed nine research questions. Employing non-experimental causal-comparative methodology, data were collected from 154 ISEC and non-ISEC teachers, and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results showed no statistically significant overall BDA readiness differences between ISEC and non-ISEC faculties, though non-ISEC faculty exhibited higher levels of readiness, stressing the need for tailored support across academic disciplines. Age emerged as a crucial factor, with younger teachers demonstrating better BDA readiness, emphasizing the necessity of addressing diverse age group needs. Professional rank and ISEC status had no significant impact, but subtle disciplinary differences suggested BDA readiness's complexity, necessitating further exploration. Teaching experience moderately negatively correlated with BDA readiness, but this relationship lost significance when age was considered, highlighting the nuanced interplay between teaching experience, age, and BDA readiness. The necessity of incorporating human factors and change processes into the existing definition of BDA readiness was evident, based on the findings, thereby offering valuable insights for leadership and intervention strategies.

In summary, a comprehensive analysis of BDA readiness among the ISEC and non-ISEC faculty was conducted in the study, revealing the current situation, strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. Findings underscored BDA's significance in education and aimed to contribute to its innovation and progress by fostering a data-driven culture, decision ecosystems, and situational leadership within educational contexts.

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