School management information systems: Challenges to educational decision-making in the big data era

Abstract

Despite the benefits of school management information systems (SMIS), the concept of data-driven school culture failed to materialize for many educational institutions. Challenges posed by the quality of data in the big data era have prevented many schools from realizing the real potential of the SMIS. The paper analyses the uses, features, and inhibiting factors of SMIS. The paper proposes a five-phase conceptual model that assist administrators with making timely, quality decisions. The paper enriches the theoretical landscape of SMIS usage in the era of big data and lays a foundation for the future by establishing an educational decision-making model.