Together with the Joint Mathematical Council of the UK (JMC), we have published a new report setting out the evidence around what constitutes effective statistics assessment in schools. The report - Recommendations for Effective Statistics Assessment: A Rapid Review of Evidence - draws on latest research in statistics education and evidence of practice from across the UK and other jurisdictions, to explore how assessment can better support statistical literacy, statistical reasoning, statistical thinking and data literacy.
Produced by Centre for Statistics and Data Science Education, the report identifies five key features which should underpin effective, evidence-led statistics assessment:
- Literacy: Focus on statistical literacy, statistical reasoning and data literacy
- Technology: Embed technology to support enquiry and modelling
- Enquiry: Focus on the statistical problem-solving cycle
- Authenticity: Use real data and realistic contexts
- Responsibility: Include ethics and data stewardship
A review of assessments across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland found that none of the four nations are well-aligned with these principles at present. To address this, the report makes ten recommendations for policymakers and awarding organisations. These include: increasing the use of authentic data and real-world contexts, piloting and evaluating technology-supported assessment, and creating opportunities for students to apply the complete statistical problem-solving cycle.
Darren Macey, co-author of the report and member of the RSS’s Education Policy and Public Engagement Advisory Group, said: "We now live in a world now where data is everywhere, and analysis is increasingly computer-based, but our approach to statistics assessment has not kept pace. Our report argues for a different approach to statistics assessment that better reflects data analysis in the modern world, supporting all students to become statistically literate citizens and building the foundational knowledge and skills needed by the statisticians and data scientists of the future"
This report forms part of the RSS’s wider programme of work on statistics and data education and reinforces a key message that has been consistent throughout our education policy work – students should have opportunities not only to learn statistical techniques, but to think critically about data, investigate real-world questions and make informed decisions in an increasingly complex information environment.
Looking ahead, the findings will inform the RSS’s ongoing engagement with policymakers, awarding organisations and wider education stakeholders, particularly as discussions on the future of curriculum and assessment in England continue later this year.
Read the full report: Recommendations for Effective Statistics Assessment: A Rapid Review of Evidence.