There has been a great deal of discussion about the adequacy or inadequacy of economic education and the amount of economic illiteracy in the United States.

In response to the growing interests in K-12 economic education among politicians and educators, this study was designed to fill in the gaps created by limited research in preservice teachers’ attitudes and intentions regarding the teaching of economics at the elementary and middle-school levels. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to identify significant predictors of PK-8 preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics and to examine the effects of an educational intervention on preservice teachers’ intentions and attitudes pertaining to the teaching of economics. Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action (TRA) and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as the theoretical bases of this research. Quantitative data collected through a self-designed survey instrument and qualitative data collected through four focus group interviews were obtained from 234 preservice teacher participants enrolled in the social studies methods courses during the fall semester of 2006. Additional training in teaching economics, which included three one-hour sessions embedded in the social studies methods courses, was provided for the experimental group teachers. The results show that preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics were affected primarily by their perceived support from school administration and their self-efficacy. No statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and the control preservice teachers. The findings of this study indicate that whether preservice teachers decide to teach economics mainly depends on whether economics is tested on state-mandated examinations, and to some extent, the preservice teachers’ own abilities to teach economics. The findings of this study also point to the need for more research in effective training for teaching elementary and middle-school level economics that can be incorporated into social studies methods courses.

In response to the growing interests in K-12 economic education among politicians and educators, this study was designed to fill in the gaps created by limited research in preservice teachers’ attitudes and intentions regarding the teaching of economics at the elementary and middle-school levels. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to identify significant predictors of PK-8 preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics and to examine the effects of an educational intervention on preservice teachers’ intentions and attitudes pertaining to the teaching of economics. Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action (TRA) and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as the theoretical bases of this research. Quantitative data collected through a self-designed survey instrument and qualitative data collected through four focus group interviews were obtained from 234 preservice teacher participants enrolled in the social studies methods courses during the fall semester of 2006. Additional training in teaching economics, which included three one-hour sessions embedded in the social studies methods courses, was provided for the experimental group teachers. The results show that preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics were affected primarily by their perceived support from school administration and their self-efficacy. No statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and the control preservice teachers. The findings of this study indicate that whether preservice teachers decide to teach economics mainly depends on whether economics is tested on state-mandated examinations, and to some extent, the preservice teachers’ own abilities to teach economics. The findings of this study also point to the need for more research in effective training for teaching elementary and middle-school level economics that can be incorporated into social studies methods courses.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Richard F. W. Whittemore. Dissertation Committee: Mary Ellen Oliverio. Includes bibliographical references.

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Typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the main features of the Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) learning area is that it prepares learners to participate in an economically complex society where social justice and a healthy environment are key concerns. Teachers are faced with an important learning outcome in the EMS curriculum, namely Sustainable Growth and Development, requiring them to equip learners with an understanding of sustainability and to encourage critical reflection on the related processes. This research aims to explore EMS teachers’ underlying conceptual understanding of sustainable development and to establish how these understandings relate to their teaching practices. The meaning of sustainable development has elicited multiple and contested reactions in the literature. Many authors are in agreement that development strategies should be consistent with the planet’s resources and linked to a balance between society, economy and the environment. However, increased production and consumption resulting from neoliberal economic policies and intensified global competition invariably disturb the earth’s ecosystem. On the one hand, increased economic activity has the advantage of resource development (capital, natural and human resources) that promotes economic growth. On the other hand, this growth occurs at the expense of resource exploitation which in turn leads to environmental degradation, the erosion of cultural identities, health risks and, in many instances, unsustainable lifestyles. There is a growing consensus that knowledge and a changed mindset are required for developing an enhanced focus towards a sustainable future. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) provides the knowledge, skills, values and theories for promoting sustainable development. The research was conducted within a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm. A case study design strategy, as part of a qualitative research approach, was selected to best answer the research question. The data collection was done by means of the literature reviewed, in-depth interviews and subject-object interviews (written explanations). This was followed by the systematic categorisation and coding of the data by means of content analysis. The main finding of the study was that EMS teachers had a single focus with regard to sustainable development: their understanding predominantly related to the economic pillar of sustainable development. The interrelatedness of the economy, society and the environment to achieve sustainable development objectives was not subjected to much scrutiny. This research showed that there is a need for ESD to be integrated into the EMS discourse. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die uitstaande kenmerke van die leerarea: Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe (EBW) is dat dit leerders voorberei vir deelname binne 'n ekonomies komplekse samelewing waar maatskaplike geregtigheid en ‘n gesonde omgewing ‘n kern-uitdaging vorm. Onderwysers word gekonfronteer met 'n belangrike leeruitkoms in die EBW-kurrikulum, naamlik Volhoubare Groei en Ontwikkeling, wat van hulle verwag om leerders toe te rus met 'n begrip van volhoubaarheid en om kritiese refleksie oor verwante prosesse te stimuleer. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om die onderliggende konseptuele begrip van volhoubare ontwikkeling by EBW-onderwysers te verken en vas te stel hoe hierdie begrip betrekking het op hul onderrig praktyke. Die betekenis van volhoubare ontwikkeling het verskeie en omstrede reaksies in die literatuur ontlok. Baie outeurs stem saam dat die ontwikkeling van strategieë in ooreenstemming moet wees met die planeet se hulpbronne en gekoppel moet word aan 'n balans tussen die samelewing, die ekonomie en die omgewing. Verhoogde produksie en verbruik, as gevolg van die neoliberale ekonomiese beleid, versterk egter wêreldwye mededinging en versteur sodoende die aarde se ekosisteem. Enersyds het toenemende ekonomiese aktiwiteit die voordeel van hulpbronontwikkeling (kapitaal, natuurlike en menslike hulpbronne) wat ekonomiese groei bevorder. Andersyds vind hierdie groei plaas ten koste van hulpbronbenutting, wat weer lei tot die agteruitgang van die omgewing, die aftakeling van kulturele identiteit, gesondheidsrisiko's, en, in baie gevalle, nie-volhoubare lewenstyle. Daar is 'n groeiende konsensus dat kennis en 'n verandering in denkwyse nodig is om ‘n sterker fokus op 'n volhoubare toekoms te verseker. Opvoeding vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (OVO) verskaf die kennis, waardes en teorieë vir die vestiging van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Hierdie navorsing is onderneem binne 'n konstruktivisties-interpretivistiese paradigma. Om die beste antwoord op die navorsingsvraag te bied, is ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gekies en ‘n gevallestudie-ontwerpstrategie gevolg. As deel van die data-insameling is die literatuur voortdurend verken en in-diepte onderhoude is gevoer, gevolg deur geskrewe verduidelikings. Hierna is die sistematiese kategorisering en kodering van die data deur middel van 'n inhoudsanalise gedoen. Die belangrikste bevinding van die studie was dat die EBW-onderwysers 'n enkele fokus gehad het ten opsigte van volhoubare ontwikkeling: hul begrip het hoofsaaklik betrekking gehad op die ekonomiese pilaar van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Daar was deurgaans 'n gebrek aan kritiese refleksie oor die interverwantskap tussen die ekonomie, die samelewing, die omgewing en die wyse waarop die doelwitte van volhoubare ontwikkeling bereik kan word. Hierdie navorsing het getoon dat daar 'n behoefte bestaan om OVO binne die EBWleerarea te integreer.

In mandating new curriculum, state legislatures frequently have opted to require school districts to "infuse" new content rather than adopt a new course. The lack of procedural guidelines in these legislative mandates leaves curriculum specialists to struggle with an "infusion dilemma," the problem of implementing the new curriculum without knowing how it should appear, once implemented. The purpose of this study was to examine interpretations of infusion held by persons responsible for operationalizing an infusion mandate. The interpretations of "infusion" held by people concerned with the implementation of the 1977 Economic Education Act in Texas were investigated. Selected legislators, state agency personnel, curriculum consultants, economics educators, and classroom teachers were interviewed about the concept and process of infusion.

The purposes of this study are to determine the understanding of economic concepts and attitudes toward economic education of selected elementary teachers, to determine which variables relate to the understanding of economic concepts and attitudes toward economic education, to determine the interaction of selected variables, and to determine if there is a positive correlation between the understanding of economic concepts and attitudes toward economic education. The analysis of data reveals the following: 1. Completion of a recent college level social studies methods course does not appear to have a significant relation to the teachers' understanding of economic concepts. The methods course does appear to have some positive significant relation to teachers' attitudes toward economic education, although not significant at the .05 level. 2. Completion of two or more college level courses in economics does not appear to have a significant relation to the teachers' understanding of economic concepts or their attitudes toward economic education. 3. Participation in a Developmental Economic Education Program (DEEP) workshop appears to have a significant relation to the teachers' understanding of economic concepts, but does not appear to have a significant relation to their attitudes toward economic education. 4. Teaching assignment (classroom organization) does not appear to have a significant relation to the teachers' understanding of economic concepts, but does appear to have a significant relation to their attitudes toward economic education with teachers in a self-contained classroom having a less favorable attitude toward economic education than do teachers in team-teaching or departmentalized classrooms. 5. The interaction of the variables grade level taught and adopted textbook series used appears to have a significant relation to the teachers' understanding of economic concepts and their attitudes toward economic education. Sixth grade teachers using textbooks with high-economic content score higher in cognition and fourth-grade teachers using textbooks with low-economic content have a less favorable attitude toward economic education. 6. There is a significant positive correlation between teachers' understanding of economic concepts and their attitudes toward economic education.