Proposal Description

Recent years have witnessed growing concern about the role of data, statistics, and evidence in democratic societies. Citizens are increasingly confronted with statistical information related to climate change, public health, migration, economic inequality, elections, artificial intelligence, and social justice. At the same time, misinformation, political polarization, algorithmic decision-making, and unequal access to information challenge the ability of citizens to engage critically and constructively in democratic discourse.
In response to these developments, several educational movements have emerged across different regions of the world. Frameworks such as Civic Statistics, Critical Statistical Literacy, Data Justice Education, Critical Data Literacy, and Education for Sustainable Development share a common goal: empowering learners to use statistical reasoning not merely as a technical competence, but as a civic resource for understanding societal issues, participating in public debate, and contributing to social change.
This invited paper session brings together scholars from different continents to examine how statistics education can foster democratic participation, social responsibility, and social justice. The session seeks to compare conceptual frameworks, educational practices, and research findings from diverse cultural and political contexts. Particular attention will be given to how statistical literacy can support engagement with pressing global challenges such as climate justice, economic inequality, anti-racism, public health, fair trade, and sustainable development.
The session aims to identify common principles, regional differences, and opportunities for collaboration among emerging international approaches. By bringing together perspectives from Africa, Europe, North and South America, the session will contribute to a broader vision of statistics education as a tool for civic empowerment and democratic resilience.
The discussion is particularly relevant in a time when democratic societies increasingly depend on citizens' capacity to critically interpret data, evaluate evidence, recognize misinformation, and participate in evidence-informed decision-making. Statistics may thus be understood not only as a scientific
Possible Guiding Questions
1. How do frameworks such as Civic Statistics, Critical Statistical Literacy, Critical Data Literacy, and Data Justice Education complement or differ from one another?
2. What educational approaches effectively connect statistical reasoning with issues of social justice, equity, and democratic engagement?
3. How can statistics education help citizens critically evaluate data-driven claims in public discourse, media, and political decision-making?
4. In what ways can statistical literacy support engagement with global challenges such as climate justice, public health, migration, economic inequality, and sustainable development?
5. How do cultural, political, and educational contexts shape the goals and implementation of socially oriented statistics education across different regions of the world?
6. How can international collaborations help build a global agenda for statistics education that promotes both statistical competence and social responsibility?
The session seeks to move beyond discussions of statistical literacy as an individual cognitive achievement and explore its role as a collective civic capability that enables citizens to participate in democratic life, advocate for social justice, and contribute to more equitable and sustainable societies.