Abstract
Recommendations for including data education in future school curricula vary, for example with some employment-focused bodies arguing for an extension of students’ digital skills, others for developing critical digital literacy and some arguing that data education requires a central core of mathematics and statistics.
Since 2023 we have been working closely with The Royal Society (RS) and the Joint Mathematical Council of the UK to collate and synthesise existing research about the relationship between teaching data science and teaching mathematics and statistics. This work has ranged from reports covering high level principles – and thus contributing to the RS Mathematical Futures vision project – to more granular recommendations for the body rewriting the 2026 National Curriculum in England. In this seminar we offer reflections on the process and take-up of this work at the boundaries of research and policy.
Cathy Smith
Cathy Smith is Professor of Mathematics Education in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the Open University, UK. Her main research theme is participation in pre-university mathematics, investigating how students account for their choices whether or not to study advanced mathematics after age 16. Her interest in data education arises from considering how these discourses change across different pathways for mathematics. In recent years, she has contributed to policy work around long-term and short-term visions for England’s mathematics curriculum in her role chairing the 11-16 Expert Panel for The Royal Society’s Advisory Committee for Mathematics Education.
Vinay Kathotia
Vinay Kathotia is a Lecturer in Mathematics Education at the Open University, UK. He is interested in the interplay of mathematics, materiality and technology for making mathematics more inclusive and expressive. Recently this has involved exploring the potential of data education to rebalance mathematics and statistics education in schools in England.