Statistical Literacy and Research Capacity in Moroccan Higher Education: A Critical Review and Research Agenda

This article critically reviews the current state of statistical literacy and research capacity in Moroccan higher education within the context of recent governmental reforms. Morocco's higher education system has expanded significantly, with 1.35 million students enrolled across 13 public universities as of 2022 (Statista, 2024), supported by substantial government investment of 14 billion dirhams (MAD) in research and education for 2023 (Bedraoui, 2024; Royaume du Maroc, 2023). Despite producing 1,574 scientific articles annually -ranking fourth in Africa- Morocco's research output of 47 publications per million inhabitants places it in the lower tier of Arab countries (Wikipedia, 2024). This review synthesizes published research on statistical literacy frameworks (Gal, 2002; Callingham & Watson, 2017), examines documented challenges facing Arab researchers through qualitative studies (Elgamri et al., 2024), and analyzes structural factors affecting research productivity (Kabba & Ejbari, 2021; Bouabid et al., 2014). The article identifies critical gaps in current knowledge and proposes a research agenda to inform the ESRI 2030 reform implementation. Findings suggest that while financial infrastructure is improving, systematic assessment of methodological competencies among educational researchers remains absent, and limiting evidence-based policy development for research capacity building.