Data Literacy: An Essential Competency for 21st Century Students
Alfabetización de Datos: Competencia Esencial para Estudiantes del Siglo XXI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29394/Scientific.issn.2542-2987.2025.10.E5.0.10-24Keywords:
information literacy, critical thinking, life skills, higher education, curriculumAbstract
This document investigates data literacy as an essential competence for 21st century students. It delves into its multidimensional nature, which transcends technical-instrumental mastery to integrate knowledge, procedural skills, metacognitive capabilities, and ethical dimensions. Grounded in the contributions of Schüller (2019); who proposes a framework of six competency fields, and Cui, Chen, Lutsyk, Leighton and Cutumisu (2023); who distinguish this competence from statistical literacy, the document argues that its development should be guided by an ethical-critical horizon. Its integration into 21st century frameworks is analyzed based on Van Laar, Van Deursen, Van Dijk and De Haan (2020); recognizing tensions between instrumentalist visions and emancipatory perspectives identified by Martínez-Bravo, Sádaba and Serrano-Puche (2022). The pedagogical implications, supported by Coners, Matthies, Vollenberg and Koch (2025): emphasize project-based learning, the use of authentic data, and curricular transversality. It is concluded that data literacy constitutes a requirement for critical civic participation, demanding profound transformations in teacher education, curriculum design, and assessment systems.
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Coners, A., Matthies, B., Vollenberg, C., & Koch, J. (2025). Data skills for everyone!(?)-An approach to assessing the integration of data literacy and data science competencies in higher education. Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education, 32(1), 90-115. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/26939169.2024.2334408
Cui, Y., Chen, F., Lutsyk, A., Leighton, J., & Cutumisu, M. (2023). Data literacy assessments: A systematic literature review. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 30(1), 76-96, e-ISSN: 0969-594X. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2023.2182737
Martínez-Bravo, M., Sádaba, C., & Serrano-Puche, J. (2022). Dimensions of Digital Literacy in the 21st Century Competency Frameworks. Sustainability, 14(3), 1-13, e-ISSN: 2071-1050. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031867
Schüller, K. (2019). Ein Framework für Data Literacy. AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv, 13, 297-317, e-ISSN: 1863-8163. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11943-019-00261-9
Van Laar, E., Van Deursen, A., Van Dijk, J., & De Haan, J. (2017). The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 577-588, e-ISSN: 1873-7692. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.03.010
Van Laar, E., Van Deursen, A., Van Dijk, J., & De Haan, J. (2020). Determinants of 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills for workers: A systematic literature review. Sage Open, 10(1), 1-14, e-ISSN: 2158-2440. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019900176
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