BACHELOR OF EDUCATION IN SOCIAL STUDIES

SPECIALIZATION: Secondary Social Studies

COURSE NAME: Economics for Social Studies Teachers

COURSE CODE: SS100SEB

NUMBER OF CREDITS: 3

YEAR: 1

SEMESTER: 1

NUMBER OF HOURS: 45 hours

PREREQUISITES: CXC/CSEC Geography General Proficiency

Grades I or II or GCE O’Level Grades A or B

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course seeks to develop in student-teachers an in depth understanding of economics, one of
the disciplines contributing the body of knowledge of Social Studies. Students will be engaged in the
study of economic concepts, economic systems, economic theories and their applications to the
understanding of the functioning of citizens in different societies. Students will also become aware
of the various factors or elements that impact on managing the economic system of a country and
the role of government and private entities in dealing with these. They will also develop an
understanding of the factors involved in the production of goods and services, the various sectors of
the Jamaican economy and their role as consumers in the economy. Students will be introduced to a
wide range of teaching and assessment approaches including field studies, research and
presentations along with reports and case studies to meet their instructional needs and learning
styles..

COURSE CONTENT

UNIT 1: THE ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

No of hours: 15 hours
LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to:

1. Examine the nature of economic choice as it relates to the individual, institution and the nation.
2. Examine the role of needs in allocation of resources.
3. Use Jamaican examples to explain how scarce resources are allocated.
4. Explain how the different economic systems answer the major economic questions: What to
produce? How to produce? For whom to produce?
5. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of each economic system from different perspectives i.e.
consumer, producer, investor, government.
6. Compare the role of public and private sectors in each economic system
7. Critically appraise the level of development and standard of living of individuals in each
economic system.
8. Assign and accept responsibility through group activities

Key concepts

Economics Micro-economics Macro-economics

Resources demand Supply

Land Labour Capital

Enterprise Produce Mixed economy

Free economy planned economy

CONTENT:
1. The Concept of Economics

a. Concepts economics, micro-economics, macro-economics

b. The basic economic concepts: wants, needs, scarce resources, demand, supply
c. Limitations in the physical world, differences in climate and other resource
endowments
d. The characteristics, types and importance of scarce resources
e. Factors of production – land, labour, capital and enterprise
f. Managing scarce resources:
- making economic choices and the opportunity cost involved.
- prioritizing our wants (scale of preferences.)
- economizing/economic efficiency
- obtaining utility/satisfaction

2. Economic Systems
 a. The basic decisions every economy must make:

- what goods to produce?

- how to produce them?
- for whom to produce them?

b. The three economic systems:

- Planned / Command Economy

- Free Enterprise Market/Price Economy
- The Mixed Economy
c. The advantages and disadvantages of each economic system.

The role of the Public and Private Sectors in the Economy

d. The Free Market System:

- how does it work?

- demand and the factors influencing demand.
- supply and the factors influencing supply.
- equilibrium; market stability.

UNIT 2: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

No of hours: 10 hours

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to :

1. Identify factors and their roles in economic development

2. Assess the role of government in the allocation of resources.
3. Examine the major social and economic indicators.
4. Explain the factors that influence inflation, balance of payment and national debt in a
country
5. Examine factors used to determine standard of living and level of development
6. Examine various models of economic development
7. Discuss factors that influence varying levels of development in the Caribbean and the
performance of Caribbean economies
8. Differentiate between the different models of economic development

Key Concepts
 Debt venerability Natural resources
Inflation Independence National debt

GDP GNP Economic development

Global trade Global resources

CONTENT:

1. Economic Factors

a. money and the functions of money

b. balance of payment and public debt
c. inflation

2. Economic Development

a. Concepts: developed/developing countries, GDP, GNP, standard of living

b. Criteria for measuring development: economic wealth, social/cultural criteria;
limitations of each criterion
c. Stages in economic growth: the Rostow model
d. factors influencing the performance of / impacting on Caribbean economies –
size, geography, vulnerability, natural resources, openness, culture, independence,
global recession and global trade

UNIT 3: PRODUCTION

No of hours: 12 hours

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students should be able to:

1. Categorise economic activities as primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary

2. Identify and locate main areas of economic activities in Jamaica.
3. Examine the factors of production and how they influence economic activities in Jamaica.
4. Critically assess the contribution of the different economic activities to social and economic
life.
5. Examine the role of government in the various economic sectors in Jamaica.
6. Assess the role of the entrepreneur, manufacturer, the distributor, the worker, and the
consumer in economic activities.
7. Examine the role and contribution of transportation and other services to economic
development.
 8. Discuss and debate relevant issues related to the economy and different sectors of the
economy
9. Construct questions which stimulate discussion
10. Recognize the importance of human resources in economic development.
11. Assess the value of goods and services that are Jamaican.

Key Concepts

entrepreneur manufacturer distributor

consumer human resources sustainability

wholesaling retailing

CONTENT

1. Producing goods and services

i. The factors of production e.g. land, labour, capital and enterprise.

ii. Resource combination e.g. labour and land
2. Types of production: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary

3. Sectors of the Jamaican Economy: farming, fishing, mining, manufacturing,

tourism

i. development of the sector

ii. location / distribution of the activity across the island
iii. resources
iv. contributions of the sector to social and economic development
v. challenges facing the sector
vi. role of government
vii. sustainability of the sector
4. Manufacturing, Wholesaling, Retailing

i. change of location
ii. change of ownership
iii. value-added

The role of the Manufacturer, Wholesaler, Retailer, Consumer and Worker

5. Distribution/Marketing of Goods and Services:- CARICOM and other Trading

Blocs, Internal/External transportation
UNIT 4: CONSUMPTION

No of hours: 8 hours

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students should be able to:

1. Examine the nature of consumerism.

2. Discuss the role of the government and relevant agencies and lobby groups in
protecting the rights of the consumer
3. Examine the roles and responsibilities of consumers
4. Recognise those factors which help to influence consumer spending
5. Categorize consumers, goods and services into different types or groups

consumerism consumer income

advertisement hire purchase goods

services rights r esponsibilities

CONTENT

Consumerism
a. Definition of Consumer
b. Types of Consumers
c. Types of Goods and Services
d. Factors influencing spending; e.g. income, advertisement, hire- purchase.
e. Consumer Protection Agencies and Lobby Groups
f. Consumer Rights and Responsibilities

TEACHING METHODS
Lecture/Discussion, Individual research and presentations, group projects, panel discussions,
role play and use of resource persons

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Coursework
Weighting: 50%

Coursework should include:

 Research and Presentation 25%

 Case study and report 15%

 Essay 10%

Written Examination
Weighting 50%

Students are to complete two (2) questions from six (6) in two (2) hours

RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND REQUIRED READING

Bradley, Schiller (2008). The Economy Today. Boston: McGraw-Hill Publishers

CARICOM Secretariat. (2005). CARICOM: Our Caribbean Community, An Introduction. George Town :
CARICOM Secretariat

Planning Institute of Jamaica. (2012). Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica, 2011. Kingston, Jamaica:
PIOJ

Social Studies Modules (1999) UWI, Mona. Kingston: Materials Production Unit

Todaro, Michael and Stephen Smith. (2009). Economic Development. Boston: Pearson

Umraw R.R & Ramsawak R. (1985). Modules in Social Studies. Trinidad: Caribbean
Educational Publisher.
Wilson, Mark. (1997).The Caribbean Environment. UK: Oxford University Press.

Internet resources

Population Reference Bureau. (2013). World Population Data. Retrieved from

http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2010/2010wpds.aspx

Statistical Institute of Jamaica. (2013). National Statistics. Retrieved from

http://www.statinja.gov.jm/