Developing a framework for educators' data literacy in the European context: proposal, implications and debate

Abstract

This article introduces conceptual framework supporting educators' data literacy to empower them as education professionals, as well as their students, to thrive in the datafied society. By framing the problem, we are putting the basis for educational intervention. The study is based on a conceptual review of several frameworks of data literacy. Over a search of 386 papers, 19 papers were selected, aiming at discussing, developing or testing data literacy frameworks. The frameworks' components were extracted, analysed and discussed through a comparative approach. From the analysis of the background and the dataset, it emerged that the topic of data literacy is not new and has a tradition of research linked to numeracy as basic literacy. More recently, statistical elaboration, visualization and data storytelling; perspective on data to empower learners, personal and critical data literacies, as well as the use of Open Data as Open Educational resources to promote both technical skills as well as civic education has also been given increasing attention. In spite of this emerging characterization, the discussion connected to educators' data literacy is mostly focused on evidence-based approaches, and the several problems dealt in the literature on data literacy are not comprehensively covered into a single framework. On these basis, and considering the policy recommendations of the DigCompEdu as framework for educators' digital competence, the article introduces a proposal to frame data literacy as crucial dimension of educators' professional competence.