ERIC Number: EJ1152524
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1570-1824
EISSN: N/A
Statistical Literacy in Public Debate--Examples from the UK 2015 General Election
Arnold, Phoebe
Statistics Education Research Journal, v16 n1 p217-227 May 2017
Full Fact is an independent, non-partisan fact-checking charity. A particular focus is the analysis of factual claims in political debate in the UK; for example, fact-checking claims and counterclaims made during Prime Minister's questions. Facts do not appear in a vacuum as they are often used as key elements in an effort to make a coherent argument. This paper describes a number of case histories where facts are disputed, drawn from our election work, to give an overview of the contemporary state of statistical literacy among politicians and the media. Common pitfalls in politicians' claims are set out, along with descriptions of our attempts to close the communication gap between different communities.
Descriptors: Statistics, Literacy, Elections, Political Attitudes, Public Officials, Case Studies, Mass Media, Foreign Countries, Trust (Psychology), Living Standards, Free Schools, Health Services, Researchers, Money Management, Lunch Programs, Breakfast Programs, Elementary Schools
International Association for Statistics Education and the International Statistical Institute. PO Box 24070, 2490 AB The Hague, The Netherlands. Tel: +31-70-3375737; Fax: +31-70-3860025; e-mail: isi@cbs.nl; Web site: http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A