Contextualising Data Literacy for the 21st-Century Science Education

Ngbarabara; Prince Boniface; Ph.D

doi:10.56201/ijee.v12.no.1.2026.pg133.146

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Contextualising Data Literacy for the 21st-Century Science Education

Ngbarabara, Prince Boniface, Ph.D

Abstract

Data literacy has become a vital competence in contemporary Science Education, reflecting the growing dominance of data in scientific investigation, evidence-based decision-making, and civic engagements. This paper examined data literacy within the context of Science Education, presenting it not as a subsidiary of digital or statistical literacy but as a core scientific skill in its own right. Drawing from existing literature, the paper explored the core components of data literacy, which include: data exploration, management, usage, and reflective evaluation for continuous improvement and further positioned them within the framework of scientific inquiry processes. Furthermore, the paper examined the cognitive foundations of data literacy through the lens of the 5C framework: curiosity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. These competencies are presented as enabling conditions for deep, responsible, and contextually meaningful engagement with data. The educational benefits of data literacy for learners, teachers, and society are also established, including enhanced scientific reasoning, informed decision-making, STEM workforce preparedness, and responsible citizenship. In like manner, the paper cross-examined key challenges to the development of data literacy in Science Education, with particular attention to infrastructural, pedagogical, curricular, and contextual constraints in developing countries such as Nigeria. Finally, policy-oriented and pedagogical strategies were proposed to strengthen data literacy through curriculum reform, teacher professional development, innovative instructional practices, and context-sensitive implementation. It contributed practical direction for advancing data literacy as a transformative element of Science Education.

Keywords

Data LiteracyScience EducationScientific inquiryDevelopmentTeacher Professional Developmentand Curriculum Reform.

References

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Contextualising Data Literacy for the 21st-Century Science Education

Abstract

Keywords

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