A Conceptual Framework for Civic Statistics and Its Educational Applications

AbstractThis chapter presents a comprehensive conceptual framework of 11 facets and tools which together describe the knowledge, skills and dispositions that (young) adults need in order to comprehend, critically evaluate, communicate about, and engage with Civic Statistics regarding ‘burning’ societal issues, and that may enhance citizen empowerment. The framework is organized around three key dimensions involving engagement & action, knowledge, and enabling processes. It identifies knowledge-bases covering meaning for society and policy and critical evaluation and reflection; selected statistical and mathematical constructs and skills; core literacy and mathematical skills; understanding models and modelling, multivariate ideas and textual and rich visual representations; knowledge of research and data production methods and extensions related to official statistics and risk on the societal level; and it emphasises the importance of appropriate dispositions, critical stance, and habits of mind. We offer examples and curriculum tasks that illustrate each of the 11 facets and their interconnectedness. We also describe the use of a ‘radar plot’ tool to support the analysis of how balanced are prospective class activities or test items in terms of covering the 11 facets and tools. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the implications of the conceptual model and its 11 facets for planning curricula, instruction, and assessments that can promote teaching and learning about Civic Statistics within mathematics education, statistics and data science education, and related disciplines.