Articles

The ability to understand and apply data is now widely required in the workplace and in everyday citizenship, and the importance of statistical literacy is recognised by Australian education systems and teachers of school mathematics. The need for further attention to this issue is underlined, however, by findings about current levels of students' statistical literacy. Other issues of concern include falls in the numbers of statisticians, and of students undertaking statistics courses in universities. Recent research has examined how best to teach statistical concepts, and the level of statistical ideas appropriate for each stage of schooling. The evidence gathered from these studies offers ways to build on the work schools are currently undertaking to help students improve their statistical literacy.