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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Birds–Dead And Deadly: Why Numeracy Needs To Address Social Construction, Joel Best
Birds–Dead And Deadly: Why Numeracy Needs To Address Social Construction, Joel Best
Numeracy
Sociologists use the term social construction to refer to the processes by which people assign meaning to their world. This paper argues that numeracy education needs to address social construction. In particular, thinking critically about the statistics the news media report regarding social issues requires understanding the competitive nature of the social problems marketplace, and the social forces that allow questionable numbers to receive widespread public attention. Such critiques must incorporate more than assessing how the numbers were calculated; they must consider the social construction of particular statistics. Two recent examples—claims about the number of birds killed flying into windows, …
Evolution Of Numeracy And The National Numeracy Network, Bernard L. Madison, Lynn Arthur Steen
Evolution Of Numeracy And The National Numeracy Network, Bernard L. Madison, Lynn Arthur Steen
Numeracy
The National Numeracy Network grew from heightened awareness of the complex and sophisticated nature of quantitative literacy and the resulting need for interdisciplinary attention to education for quantitative literacy in schools and colleges. This complexity and sophistication applies especially to the US where it is fueled by an agile economy and the needs of a democratic society. This paper describes the environment surrounding the National Numeracy Network’s establishment, some of its activities, and some complementary and synergistic actions by other professional societies. The paper concludes with a sample of quantitative literacy programs in colleges and universities