1. Introduction

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies has made data a central resource in modern society. Decisions in education, health, agriculture, business, and governance are increasingly informed by data. As a result, it is essential that learners acquire foundational data literacy skills while still in secondary school.

This manual is designed to support teachers to guide learners in simple, safe, and curriculum‑aligned primary data collection activities. Through these activities, learners develop competencies in observing, measuring, recording, organising, basic analysis and ingestion into a database of data drawn from their immediate environment.

The projects here contribute directly to the development of competencies emphasised by the secondary school training curricula, particularly:

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Communication and collaboration
• Digital literacy and numeracy
• Doing to learn

2. Rationale

Traditionally, learners interact with data mainly as users—reading tables, graphs, and statistics prepared by others. These projects deliberately shift learners into the role of data producers. By collecting their own data, learners gain a deeper understanding of:

• What data is
• Where data comes from
• How data can be used to explain real‑world situations

This approach aligns with competency‑based education by emphasising learning by doing rather than memorisation.

3. Purpose of the Manual

The purpose of this manual is to:

• Guide teachers in implementing primary data collection projects at secondary school level
• Ensure projects are ethically safe and do not require formal ethical approval
• Support integration of data skills across multiple learning areas – not ICT alone
• Provide a common project structure that can be used for teaching, assessment, and reporting

The projects focus exclusively on objects, environments, time, and observable patterns – and exclude personal or sensitive data.

4. Ethics and Safety Guidelines

All projects in this manual comply with ethical requirements for school‑based learning activities.

4.1 Permitted Activities

• Observation of environments and objects
• Counting, measuring, and timing
• Recording anonymous and aggregated information

4.2 Prohibited Activities

• Collecting names, photographs, phone numbers, or identifying details of individuals
• Asking questions about personal health, political views, religion, income, or private behaviour
• Recording conversations or tracking individuals

Teachers must review and approve all project plans before data collection begins.

5. Role of the Teacher

Teacher is expected to:

• Refresh his/her understanding of primary data by either watching the two short lesson videos or reading the accompanying brief notes.

• When assigning school projects, select appropriate projects from the approved list and include them on the class project menu for learners to implement.

• For projects involving primary data collection, organize learners into groups of 5–10 students and assign one project to each group.

• Guide learners in developing simple data collection tools (tables or checklists)
• Supervise data collection to ensure accuracy and safety
• Supervise data management/publication 

Advanced ICT/statistical skills are not required to implement these projects.

6. Projects and Key Competences built

Click here to see the projects 

All projects should follow this structure:

1. Project Title
2. Research Question
3. Data to Be Collected
4. Location and Time of Collection
5. Data Collection Method
6. Data Recording Tool
7. Data Presentation Method
8. Key Findings and Reflection

This structure supports uniform assessment.

Primary data collection projects provide learners with meaningful opportunities to engage with real‑world data while developing key competencies required in the 21st century. When guided effectively, these activities strengthen understanding across subjects and prepare learners for further study, work, and responsible living in a data‑driven world.