Teaching social science students to think with data
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52041/iase2023.114Abstract
A vibrant democracy that wants to prove resilient to expertocratic strategies of rule needs citizens who participate in public deliberations and intervene in political affairs. Without a basic understanding of statistical concepts and handling of data, it is difficult to follow media coverage of, e.g., the pandemic or climate change, let alone intervene in political processes. However, the high relevance of statistical literacy as an integral part of civic education contrasts with its actual value in classroom practice at schools and universities. Social science teachers are usually unprepared to include quantitative evidence as a source in their teaching. Our concept of teaching civic statistics to social science students is based on ProCivicStat and integrates statistical methods and socio-political content. The focus is on critical thinking and conceptual understanding to teach students how to be better consumers and analysts of the kinds of quantitative information and arguments that they will encounter.References
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