Perceptions of data literacy and data literacy education

Abstract

In the era of digital transformation, data literacy has emerged as a critical competency for organisations, driving a demand for skilled professionals. Despite a shortage of data-literate talent, universities struggle to align their curricula with industry needs, prompting a call for improved data literacy education. Recognising the contextual nuances of this skill set, a one-size-fits-all approach falls short. To address this gap, the authors advocate for a comprehensive exploration of perspectives from key stakeholders such as business advisors, students, teachers, and researchers. Understanding diverse needs and expectations of stakeholders is crucial in identifying deficiencies in data literacy education, paving the way for enhancements in university programmes. The reported study is the preliminary phase of a larger ongoing project in which grounded theory methodology is used to explore the question of ‘how can data literacy education be improved?’. The authors report on a small-scale study (eight interviews) aimed at exploring the perspectives on data literacy definition, competencies, and challenges with two representatives of each of four groups of stakeholders in data literacy education: students, business advisors, educators, and researchers. One common challenge identified among participants is the lack of data literacy and critical thinking skills, as well as a lack of awareness of the importance of data analysis. Although participants were aware that different businesses may need different data literacy skills, they were not able to articulate what those differences might be. The study underscores the need for the development of frameworks to help guide and advance data literacy education.