Social studies teacher candidates will be expected to teach or integrate economics content in their classrooms, yet there is a dearth of research on social studies teacher candidates' preparation to teach economics. This convergent mixed methods study developed an understanding of secondary social studies teacher candidates' economic pedagogical…

University lecturers and coordinators of business and economics courses around the world are faced with the challenge that beginning students in these courses have heterogeneous entry conditions in terms of personal characteristics. This article focuses on the economic knowledge of German and Japanese beginning students in a business and economics…

In view of cross-national student mobility and increasing internationalization of the labor market, a common understanding of economic concepts as well as awareness for country-specific factors influencing economics education is essential. Therefore, the development of instruments that allow for comparable investigation across countries is…

According to teaching-learning theories, interventions in educational practice require a valid diagnosis of students' learning preconditions. Cognitive dispositions at the beginning of studies are the strongest predictor of knowledge acquisition. In the context of increasing numbers of beginning students with heterogeneous preconditions, valid…

This review describes the conditions for teaching economics in the kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) curriculum in U.S. schools. The first section presents data on course-taking in economics in high schools and state mandates for economics instruction. It discusses the value of the infusion approach to teaching economics either in place of…

The recent widespread adoption of online competitions in economic education provides a unique opportunity to make frequent assessments of economic literacy in U.S. classrooms. In this survey, student responses to test items from the Test of Economic Literacy (TEL) are used to create economic concept and content area achievement benchmarks. These…

The authors extend the literature on the efficacy of high school economics instruction in two directions. First, they assess how much economic knowledge that California students acquired in their compulsory high school course is retained on their entering college. Second, using as a control group some college students from the state of Washington,…

A series of studies in several countries tested the economic understanding of people, particularly students. The performance of the subjects is typically conceived as showing "deficits". These alleged deficits seem to correspond with scepticism towards market economy. Better test scores in general correlate with higher appraisal of…

Among the activities mentioned are: the initiation of a three-year national research study on high school seniors; the revision of the Test of Economic Literacy; the development of a new scope and sequence document; and the completion of teacher and administrator training manuals for use with the audio-visual material entitled "Economics…

Results of a review of the Test of Economic Literacy suggest that average measurable gains from economics instruction in high school are not only limited but are unlikely to be obtained in many instructional situations. (Author/JOW)

Argues there is limited research data about student knowledge of economic concepts at the secondary school education level. Describes the development, validation, and national norming of the revised Test of Economic Literacy (TEL) and presents findings from the 1986 pretest analysis of the revised TEL. (BSR)

This study analyzed factors that contribute to economics learning and attitudes toward economics among high school students taking an economics course. Results indicate a number of teacher, student, course, and school variables that affect economics learning and attitude formation. Textbooks appear to have a significant effect. (Author/IAH)

The Test of Understanding of College Economics, the Test of Economic Literacy for senior high students, and the Basic Economics Test for students in grades 4-6 provide reasonably good measures of economic understanding. The tests' technical features--reliability, validity, norms, and item statistics--are critiqued. (RM)

This study attempted to determine the effect of a teacher education seminar stressing economic concepts and methodology on the level of understanding in economics held by the students of the participants. There were 19 teachers of 440 students in the experimental group, and 12 teachers of 229 students in the control group. Results are discussed.…

Reports on a study of economic knowledge and attitudes of 873 upper secondary school, Chinese students. Finds that Chinese students performed better than northern California students on the Test of Economic Literacy. Concludes that the relatively high level of economic knowledge and the impact of Western economic ideas will encourage further…