Exploring the Inclusion of Technology in Statistics Teaching in Mexican Colleges

Given the importance of understanding the specific needs for integrating technology into teaching across distinct educational contexts and disciplines, this study explores aspects related to digital inclusion that influence the use of technology in statistics courses at a sample of Mexican colleges. The study stems from a 2020-2024 national research project that characterizes how college instructors teach and assess statistics. A robust survey of 750 instructors was validated using exploratory items assessed on an ordinal scale with confirmatory factor analysis to identify salient characteristics. Results of this survey suggest that critical aspects affecting digital inclusion fall into two categories: first-order barriers (access to technology in the classroom, lack of free software, limited access to technological training opportunities for college instructors), and second-order barriers, like digital literacy among college instructors and students, including skills in using specific technologies and pedagogical practices supported by technology. Results also identify key factors associated with instructors’ software preferences and their use in college-level statistics courses. Our findings indicate that incorporating technology into undergraduate statistics courses requires support from all education stakeholders, including well-prepared instructors, to meet current digital literacy requirements.