What Do We Know About Teaching Statistics for Social Justice? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Teaching statistics for social justice (TS4SJ) empowers students to use statistical data analysis skills to make positive changes in their communities. The aim of this study is to describe the volume, characteristics, and nature of the current research regarding teaching statistics for social justice. This scoping review provides an examination of the literature from multiple database searches. Inclusion criteria consist of literature published between 2007 and 2023, an explicit connection to statistics education in Pre-K-12 or post-secondary settings, and an explicit or implicit mention of TS4SJ elements. The systematic search of the literature yielded 16 relevant results toward our goal of providing a description of the characteristics and range of literature regarding TS4SJ. Our scoping review results provide evidence of a dearth of empirical studies, as well as a description of explicit and implicit TS4SJ elements aligned with the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE). Thus, the scoping review results have implications for future research and practice in statistics education.