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For students and teachers
Istat is actively engaged to foster the use of statistics in scholastic disciplines and, more generally, in the development of a quantitative approach to everyday life.
The development of statistical literacy is implemented through actions aimed at increasing the critical sense of the users through the correct understanding of statistical data and information. Constituent elements of this process are:
- the promotion of the paradigm of statistical research (fundamental in the process of acquiring knowledge through the empirical observation of reality);
- the orientation to the use and application of data and information produced by official statistics to a plurality of cognitive, decision-making and evaluation contexts;
- the development of a method for decision-making, especially in conditions of uncertainty, through the use of official statistics;
- the knowledge of the set of criteria that guide the activity of the statistician and of the researcher;
- the promotion of metadata culture;
- the attention to quality and its “certification”.
On these bases, Istat’s proposal on the development of statistical culture is based on four pillars:
- to disseminate the pervasive and reasoned use of statistics within the curriculum disciplines, oriented to humanistic subjects and social sciences, as well as to the Stem disciplines (sciences, technologies, engineering, mathematics);
- to equip the learners with a “statistical toolbox” and to develop the critical sense, the recognition of regularities (patterns), the capacity for synthesis (statistics) and the habit of interpreting reality through models;
- to reach boys and girls outside the scholastic channel, through familiar and fun activities and methods (gamification);
- to develop the quantitative and statistical interest and literacy of adults.
Moreover, at the national level, Istat has started collaborating in 2018 with the project “At the School of OpenCoesion” (A Scuola di Open Coesione – Asoc). This project is eligible as Pathway for transversal skills and orientation (Percorso per le competenze trasversali e per l’orientamento – PCTO) and for teachers’ training.
An agreement was signed in 2019 with the Association of European Economics Education (Associazione europea per l’educazione economica – AEEE Italia). The agreement is aimed at developing statistical literacy in schools and it is addressed to the training of teachers in secondary schools.
Istat also organizes study visits to illustrate the main activities of the Institute and the National Statistical System and to stimulate students’ curiosity for statistics.
For the activities in Rome write to cultura-statistica@istat.it, while for visits organized in other regions contact the regional network for the development of statistical culture.