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An Assessment of Economics Instruction in American High Schools

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An International Perspective on Economic Education

Abstract

Prior to 1960 serious problems confronted economics instruction in American high schools. A major concern was the limited amount of economics taught because few high school students ever took a separate course in economics, or received economics instruction in the context of other social studies courses. Compounding that problem was the way that economics was taught. Instruction in separate economics courses was descriptive, dry, and rarely included economic analysis. Coverage in textbooks and other instructional materials lacked economic analysis, and many organizations were inundating the schools with pamphlets and other materials, some of which were simply propaganda. Many high school teachers were inadequately prepared to teach economics or deal with slanted materials, so teachers’ value judgments often substituted for analysis in classroom discussions of economic problems or issues. Finally, economists and educational organizations showed little interest in, and provided no guidance for, the teaching of economics below the college level.

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Authors
  1. William B. Walstad
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

    William B. Walstad

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Walstad, W.B. (1994). An Assessment of Economics Instruction in American High Schools. In: Walstad, W.B. (eds) An International Perspective on Economic Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1382-3_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1382-3_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4605-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1382-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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