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…

The results of numerous studies indicate that male students achieve better results on economic knowledge tests than their female classmates. Although this phenomenon has been known for a long time, the gender-specific mechanisms of this gap have not been explored in depth. According to social and educational scientific theories and the current…

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…

This study examined the level of economics knowledge, overall and on specific economic concepts after Albanian 11th grade and 12th grade students completed their required economics course and investigated how economics knowledge differed by student and teacher characteristics. There were 1,509 students who participated in this research from 12…

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes toward and understanding of economics possessed by Doctor of Education students in Adult and Higher Education that were enrolled at The University of South Dakota. The study further sought to find areas or topics of interest in the field of economics that Doctor of Education students possess,…

Since 1995, the Buck Institute has partnered with university economists and expert teachers to create the Problem Based Economics curriculum. The curriculum was developed to respond to NCEE (National Council on Economic Education) standards, and it is supported by professional development for teachers. This study examines whether the Problem Based…

Reports on a study of the economic literacy of 942 adults and compares the results with the economic literacy of high school students. Finds that high school students outscored the adults. Also finds that adult scores were related positively to both the level of education achieved and the completion of an economics course. (CFR)

This study examines whether the Problem Based Economics curriculum developed by the Buck Institute for Education improves grade 12 students' content knowledge as measured by the Test of Economic Literacy, a test refined by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) over decades. Students' problem-solving skills in economics were also…

This paper analyzes the economic knowledge of high school students based on national data from 8,000 students who took the revised "Test of Economic Literacy," a nationally normed and standardized achievement test in economics. First, the validity and reliability features of the test are presented and then the test scores are broken down…

This paper explores problems inherent in requiring elementary and secondary school social studies teachers to teach economics and be tested with regard to their knowledge of economics without requiring any academic preparation in economic education. Information is based on test scores of 34 elementary and secondary school Texas social studies…

The "Test of Economic Literacy" was used to assess the economics knowledge of students enrolled in five Kentucky vocational high schools. The test was to determine if economics instruction should be instituted in vocational schools. Neither age group nor gender was found to be a significant factor in student achievement, but the number…

Presents objectives, methodology, and results from a binary model that studies data from a 1987 nationwide survey of high school students taking the Test of Economic Literacy (TEL). Links current economics class performance to perceived usefulness of additional economics courses. Advocates curriculum reassessment. Includes tables showing results.…

Reviews literature assessing research about the teaching and learning of high school economics. Examines how student learning has been measured using results from the Test of Economic Literacy (TEL). Considers research design and two models for assessing learning and findings. Concludes standardized test scores do not reveal differences among…