Seeing Our World Through Data: Sixth Graders Integrating Data Investigations in Collaborative Knowledge Building

Data science, as a multidisciplinary field, has gained considerable interest in K-12 education. Prior research has explored innovative ways to introduce data science to young learners, emphasizing not only the development of data skills but also the connection of data science to students’ authentic inquiries and critical actions. Building on this foundation, this study aims to achieve two complementary goals: integrating Knowledge Building, a well-established pedagogical approach, into K-12 data science education, and enhancing students’ epistemic agency through data practices in knowledge building. To achieve these goals, we engaged a class of 6th-grade students in building knowledge about global issues, supporting their exploration of public datasets related to these topics. Following the Knowledge Building framework, students collaborated to construct explanatory theories, analyzing public datasets to inform and refine their theoretical understandings. Findings revealed that, with appropriate pedagogical and technological supports, 6th-grade students were able to engage in a range of data practices when working with public datasets, derive meaningful interpretations of data visualizations, and contribute to theory-building discussions informed by their data investigations. This study highlights the potential of situating data science within students’ interdisciplinary engagement with authentic problems and demonstrates how supporting data practices can enhance their knowledge-building processes.