Data Literacy Competencies: A Comparison between Applied and Social Science Students at the BS Level

In today’s society, workplace, and scientific environment, data is increasingly regarded as a highly valuable often the most valuable resource. Decisions are progressively being made on the basis of data. Digitalisation and datafication are reshaping life and work in the 21st century: artificial intelligence, networked production, communicating machines, and autonomous vehicles all rely on data while simultaneously generating vast amounts of it. Data thus forms the foundation for knowledge creation, value generation, and better decision-making. Therefore, data literacy must be cultivated from the start of higher education and across all disciplines. The present study is aimed to find out the data literacy of the university students in Pakistan furthermore to compare the data literacy of applied and social science students at BS level. For the purpose, a total six academic departments three from the applied sciences (Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Zoology) and three from the social sciences (Education, Psychology, and Sociology). A sample size of 360 (180 students from each applied and social science) were selected. IDL was used as data collection tool. Results showed that overall data literacy levels are low across both groups, with social science students demonstrating relatively higher proficiency. From inferential data analysis no significant difference in data literacy between applied science and social science students at the BS level was found. It is recommended that universities should organize workshops and training sessions for teachers; facilitated Enhancing faculty proficiency in statistical tools will directly contribute to improving students’ understanding and use of data literacy software such as SPSS, STATA, and R. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) is encouraged to integrate a dedicated unit on data analysis software including SPSS, STATA, and R into relevant undergraduate programs.