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Economic Education in U.S. High Schools

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  • William B. Walstad

Abstract

The teaching of economics at the high school level is vital for increasing basic economic literacy. This assessment of high school economics in the United States covers seven topics: enrollments in courses; course content; the testing of students; achievement in economics courses; economics instruction in related courses; teacher preparation for economics instruction; and the contributions from organizations and economists. Significant improvements are found in the teaching, content, and testing of high school economics over the past two decades, but more work is needed because a formal course in economics is taken by less than half of high school graduates.

Suggested Citation

  • William B. Walstad, 2001. "Economic Education in U.S. High Schools," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 195-210, Summer.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:15:y:2001:i:3:p:195-210
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.15.3.195
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    File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.15.3.195
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, William E & Greene, William & Rosen, Sherwin, 1990. "Research on High School Economic Education," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(2), pages 14-22, May.
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    3. Durden, Garey C & Ellis, Larry V, 1995. "The Effects of Attendance on Student Learning in Principles of Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(2), pages 343-346, May.
    4. Jane S. Lopus, 1997. "Effects of the High School Economics Curriculum on Learning in the College Principles Class," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(2), pages 143-153, June.
    5. John J. Siegfried & Bonnie T. Meszaros, 1998. "Voluntary Economics Content Standards for America's Schools: Rationale and Development," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 139-149, June.
    6. L. Wade, 1988. "Review," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 99-100, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Phillip Saunders, 2011. "A history of economic education," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Walstad, William B. & Rebeck, Ken, 2002. "Assessing the economic knowledge and economic opinions of adults," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(5), pages 921-935.
    3. Scott Wolla, 2018. "The Textbook Treatment of Net Exports: Will the Uninformed Reader Understand?," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 3(2), pages 232-253, December.
    4. Aigerim Kozhabergenova & Erika Kopp, 2021. "Preparation of Economics Teachers in Kazakhstan," Book chapters-LUMEN Proceedings, in: Otilia Clipa (ed.), ATEE 2020 - Winter Conference. Teacher Education for Promoting Well-Being in School. Suceava, 2020, edition 1, volume 16, chapter 16, pages 229-246, Editura Lumen.
    5. Kaiser, Tim & Oberrauch, Luis, 2021. "Economic education at the expense of indoctrination? Evidence from Germany," EconStor Preprints 245801, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Grimes, Paul W. & Millea, Meghan J., 2003. "Economic education as public policy: the determinants of state-level mandates," MPRA Paper 39884, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Jane Lopus & Jody Hoff, 2009. "An Empirical Analysis of Alternative Assessment Strategies in the High School Economics Class," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 54(2), pages 38-51, October.
    8. Grimes, Paul W. & Millea, Meghan J. & Thomas, M. Kathleen, 2008. "District level mandates and high school students' understanding of economics," MPRA Paper 39883, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Michael C. Kimmitt & Kimberly M. Burnett, 2006. "Determinants of Success in High School Economics: Lessons from the Field," Working Papers 200609, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    10. KimMarie McGoldrick, 2010. "Advancing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Economics," Chapters, in: Michael K. Salemi & William B. Walstad (ed.), Teaching Innovations in Economics, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Mark C. Schug & Eric Hagedorn & Tracy J. Posnanski, 2002. "Should Economic Education Be Left the Public Schools? The Youth Enterprise Academies for Urban Youth," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 18(Fall 2002), pages 80-88.
    12. Kimberly Burnett & Sumner La Croix, 2009. "Economic Education’s Roller Coaster Ride In Hawaii, 1956-2006," Working Papers 200901, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    13. Paul W. Grimes, 2011. "Economic Education in American Elementary and Secondary Schools," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 25, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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    JEL classification:

    • A21 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Pre-college

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