Do Teachers Protect Their Students’ Data? A Qualitative Interview Study Probing Teachers’ Knowledge of Data Security
Sina Menebhi, Valentina Nachtigall, Ann-Kathrin Mertineit, Nikol Rummel · Proceedings. · 2025
In our digital age, teachers' responsibility for data protection and the handling of their students' sensitive data is steadily increasing.However, neither professional development programs nor IT security trainings are specifically designed to educate teachers on IT security or take their existing knowledge into account to create targeted interventions.Therefore, the present study aims to investigate teachers' knowledge of internet security and, in particular, how they protect their students' data.A typological content analysis of interview data from 14 teachers revealed that the majority have inadequate knowledge about secure email communication and do not adequately protect their students' data, highlighting the need for interventions that address these critical gaps in teachers' knowledge and skills.