New shadow professionals and infrastructures around the datafied school : Topological thinking as an analytical device
Journal article
Lewis, Steven and Hartong, Sigrid. (2022). New shadow professionals and infrastructures around the datafied school : Topological thinking as an analytical device. European Educational Research Journal. 21(6), pp. 946-960. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211007496
Authors | Lewis, Steven and Hartong, Sigrid |
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Abstract | Drawing upon the growing datafication of contemporary schooling, our purpose in this article is to use topological thinking as an analytical device to better understand the professionals and practices within emergent data infrastructures. We address this by attending to an influential national (and subnational) data infrastructure of school monitoring in the United States, managed by the federal Department of Education, known as EDFacts. Informed by policy documents relating to EDFacts, as well as by various related software platforms and portals, we explore the whom and how of datafication, and expose the increasing presence and influence of otherwise ‘hidden’ technology mediators, or ‘shadow professionals’. In particular, we argue that the increasing dependency of EDFacts on data has necessitated the introduction of new professional roles associated with optimising the flow of data, and thus stabilising and normalising the topological space of the infrastructure. We conclude by suggesting that EDFacts encourages teaching professionals and shadow professionals alike to engage in acts of data submission; that is, providing data to EDFacts and, at the same time, positioning themselves as wholly responsive to the infrastructure and its datafied renderings of schooling. |
Keywords | data; datafication; topology; infrastructure; EDFacts; policy; ‘shadow professionals’ |
Year | 2022 |
Journal | European Educational Research Journal |
Journal citation | 21 (6), pp. 946-960 |
Publisher | SAGE Publications |
ISSN | 1474-9041 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211007496 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85104495994 |
Page range | 946-960 |
Funder | Australian Research Council (ARC) |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 15 Apr 2021 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 05 Aug 2021 |
ARC Funded Research | This output has been funded, wholly or partially, under the Australian Research Council Act 2001 |
Grant ID | DE190101141 |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8w74y/new-shadow-professionals-and-infrastructures-around-the-datafied-school-topological-thinking-as-an-analytical-device
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