Data Literacy for Social Studies: Examining the Role of Data Visualizations in K–12 Textbooks

Abstract The rising prevalence of data visualizations in the political and economic spheres requires an increasingly data literate population. Data are used to persuade people how to vote, support policies, adopt arguments or agendas, and buy products. Furthermore, data literacy is a specialized literacy skill that students need to employ to make meaning within the academic disciplines. This article presents a study of over 3,000 data visualizations in 42 K–12 social studies textbooks, addressing the questions: How prevalent are data visualizations in social studies texts? How are data visually represented in social studies texts? What purpose do data visualizations serve in social studies texts? and To what degree do social studies texts support and encourage analysis of data visualizations? Findings reveal not only the important role that data visualizations play in communicating information within social studies materials but also implications for social studies research and instruction.

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