Data and Data Science: Making Sense of the World

Data and data science are becoming increasingly important, and initiatives related to data science at the school level are emerging in countries across the world. This paper considers what data science means, considers its connections to statistics and critical literacies, and suggests a framework for introducing students to the data science process. The framework can provide a structure to inform the development of materials for better understanding of data science and its role in making sense of the world. Several examples aligned with the framework are given and are appropriate for use in the secondary curriculum to maximize learning opportunities for all students. The discussion ends by considering some implications for the school mathematics curriculum.