Integrating Economics In The K-12 Curriculum

Abstract

This is a multi-year study of the effects of integrating economics into the curriculum on the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) economics outcome scores. The study was carried out using State summary and disaggregated data and summary data for each school system in the State of Maryland. The 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2000 MSPAP economics outcome scores for grades 3, 5, and 8, constitute the dependent variable for the study with the level of integration of economics in the curriculum and class size, being the main explanatory variables. Using comparative static analysis and regression analysis three questions were addressed. The first question asks how school systems with different levels of integration of economics in the curriculum compare to the State average. The second question asks how these groupings compare to each other. The third question employs regression analysis to determine the effect of economics instruction and class size on the economics test scores. Other explanatory variables considered include: wealth per capita, income per capita, expenditures per pupil, student enrollments, and the level of performance on the overall battery of MSPAP tests.

Math and Economics: Implementing Authentic Instruction in Grades K-5

“…Walstad (1979) used a two-stage least-squares approach to investigate the use of a particular teacher in-service program (the Unified Science and Mathematics for Elementary School curriculum) and concluded that intermediate elementary students -appear to improve their economic understanding significantly by working on comprehensive, realistic, and economics-oriented problems‖ (p. 9). Georgiou (2003) showed that integrating economics into the social studies curriculum improved economics outcomes on state assessments, while Walstad and Watts (1985) cautioned that although infusion or integration is a commonly used approach for teaching economics in the elementary grades, time limitations prevent teaching more of the content. If economics can be integrated into mathematics in the elementary school setting, perhaps learning can improve in both areas of content.…”