WEEK 2: ED 350 ECONOMICS WORKSHOP 1: ECONOMICS EDUCATION FOR

WHAT AND WHOM?

Economic problems are an ever present and inherent part of our lives; the existence of high
levels of youth unemployment and inflation, global competition in world markets, arguments
about the wisdom of free trade agreements, the merits of alternative pollution control policies,
the RB’s forceful endeavours to restrain inflation. While many issues are fundamentally
economic in nature, there are many other social, political, environmental problems that have
important economic consequences. The social science of economics is our attempt to analyse and
understand these and many other problems. Even though, formally Economics is the study of
how we use our limited resources to satisfy our unlimited material wants, it is an extensive body
of knowledge, analysis and applications. Thus, this reflects the importance of Economic
Education.

Economics Education focuses on two main themes:

i) the current state of and efforts to improve the economics curriculum, materials and
pedagogical techniques used to teach economics at all educational levels

ii) research into the effectiveness of alternative instructional techniques in economics, the level
of economic literacy of various groups and factors that influence the level of economic literacy

GROUP TASK

Each group is to take some time to reflect and present on the issues below under the above topic:

1. Why is teaching and learning Economics important?

2. How do Economics student learn?

3. How has the current practice of teaching and learning Economics in secondary schools changed?

4. How can the current practice be improved?

5. What are the constraints in improving Economics teaching and learning?

6. How can electronic learning technologies be used to improve student learning in Economics?

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