DOCUMENT RESUME ED 085 304 SO 006 728 AUTHOR Rust, W. Bonney TITLE European Curriculum Studies Number 7: Economics. INSTITUTION Council for Cultural Cooperation, Strasbourg (France). PUB DATE 72 NOTE 105p. AVAILABLE FROM Manhattan Publishing Company, 225 Lafayette. Street, New York, New York 10012 ($4.00) EDRS PRICE MF$0.65 HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Articulation (Program); Course Content; *Curriculum Development; Curriculum Problems; *Curriculum Research; Developed Nations; *Economic Education; *EconomicS; Educational Policy; *Educational Status Comparison; Educational Trends; Higher Education; International Organizations; National Programs; Secondary Education; Student Evaluation; Teacher Education; Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS *Europe ABSTRACT The Committee for general and technical education of the Council of Europe has initiated several projects to study, compare, and evaluate curriculum materials used in the member nations. The present study in economics attempts to summarize the status of various facets of economics teaching in Western Europe in the early 1970's. It was compiled from a wide range of information sources, including syllabuses of member countries' programs, a series of questionnaires, meetings of economics experts, personal interviews with teachers and administrators, and the study of background literature. The chapter topics include the role of economics in education; the aims of teaching economics; the structure of the syllabus; economics-within an educational strategy; secondary termination and university entrance; methods of teaching economics; training teachers; assessing the candidates; and a challenging future for economics. Related documents are ED 070 652 and SO 006 729. (Author/KSM) 111 MICF10 FICHE ONLI II 11 Ala rt A , clt .PI 411,1 641 .11 44( 4, 411 11,4 41 1 1 1 1) '11. I 1)47 44411 I. 06,1111 4. .1 , 1 1141 144 1 ' 4'1 4410 (4,41 t441 I ' EUROPEAN CURRICULUM STUDIES N° 7 : ECONOMICS FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY EUROPEAN CURRICULUM STUDIES (in the Academic Secondary School) N°7- ECONOMICS by W. BONNEY RUST Principal West London College Research Associate,. Oxford University Delegacy of Educational Studies Council for Cultural Co-operation Council of Europe Strasbourg 1972 The Council for Cultural Co-operation was set up by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 1 January 1962 to draw up proposals for the cultural policy of the Council of Europe, to co- ordinate and give effect to the overall cultural programme of the organisation and to allocate the re- sources of the Cultural Fund. It is assisted by three permanent committees of senior officials : for higher education and research, for general and technical education and for out-of-school education. All the member governments of the Council of Europe, together with Greece, Finland, Spain and the Holy See are represented on these bodiesl. In educational matters, the aim of the Council for Cultural Co-operation (C. C.C. ) is to help to create conditions in which the right educational opportunities are available to young Europeans whatever their background or level of academic accomplishment, and to facilitate their adjustment to changing political and social conditions. This entails in particular a greater rationalisation of the complex educa- tional process. Attention is paid to all influences bearing on the acquisition of knowledge, from home television to advanced research ; from the organisation of youth centres to the improvement of teacher training. The countries concerned will thereby be able to benefit from the experience of their neigh- bours in the planning and reform of structures, curricula and methods in all branches of education. Since 1963 the C.C. C. has been publishing, in English and French, a series of works of general interest entitled "Education in Europe", which records the results of expert studies and intergovernmen- tal investigations conducted within the framework of its programme. A list of these publications will be found at the end of the volume. Some of the volumes in this series have been published in French by Armand Colin of Paris and in English by Harraps of London. These works are being supplemented by a series of "companion volumes" of a more specialised nature to which the present study belongs. General Editor The Director of Education and of Cultural and Scientific Affairs, Council of Europe., Strasbourg (France) The opinions expressed in these studies are not to be regarded as reflecting the policy of individual governments or of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Applications for reproduction and translation should be addressed to the General Editor. 1.Fdr complete list, see back of cover. CONTENT S Page ABBREVIATIONS 5 PREFACE CHAPTER I THE ROLE OF ECONOMICS IN EDUCATION 9 Size of the Economic Unit Maintaining Full Employment Europe as an Economic Unit Economic Importance of Imports Economic Role of the Trade Unions Formation of the Council of Europe The European Economic Community The Non-Participants Educational activities of the Council of Europe Oxford/Council of Europe Study The Status of Economics in Education Commerce and Economics Relevance of Economics to a "Liberal" Education The Calibre of Candidates Europe's Need for Economic Expertise CHAPTER II THE AIMS OF TEACHING ECONOMICS 19 Is Economics of direct utility to the Pupil ? Intellectual Training The Examination of Concepts and their Limitations Knowledge and Understanding Application of Knowledge to Economic Problems Formation of Mental Habits Cultural Aims Educational Objectives Weighting Educational Objectives Transmission of a Cultural Heritage CHAPTER III THE STRUCTURE OF THE SYLLABUS 35 Philosophy of a Syllabus Relative importance of Major Economic Topics Is there a Best Order for Teaching Economics ? A Macro or Micro-Economic Approach Descriptive or Analytical How Much Study Time to Cover the Syllabus Revising the Syllabus Is there a Common Core ? An Outline Plan or a Detailed Syllabus Determining the Importance of Economic Topics A Curriculum for the Future - 2 - Page An International Economics Syllabus Summary of Conclusions CHAPTER IV ECONOMICS AN EDUCATIONAL STRATEGY 51 The Individual within society The needs of the employer The school as a medium of social interpretation The school as a cultural transmitter Effect of changes in school organisation A classification (taxonomical) approach to the curriculum Some approaches to curriculum building Relationship of study time spent on Economics to other disciplines Related subjects included in Economics courses Relationship of Economics to Business Studies At what stage, or age, should the study of Economics begin ? Should Economics become a compulsory subject at secondary school level ? CHAPTER V SECONDARY TERMINAL OR UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE ? 63 The duality of aim in secondary education A country-by-country analysis of aims The academic tradition and the secondary school The Examination Structure The Expansion of secondary education The new secondary school Testing achievement in the new secondary school Social prestige of the examination Outlook for existing dual-purpose examinations Entry to higher education A terminal secondary examination without "failures" Economics in the future secondary school Need for guidance into careers and into higher education Research required CHAPTER VI METHODS OF TEACHING ECONOMICS 73 Psychological an Pedagogical theories Research and investigation The Manchester Economics Project The Economics Education Project Face-to-face teaching The Lecture The Seminar Dividing the class into learning groups Technical aids to teaching Self-motivated learning Practical observation - 3 - Page Precision thinking in economics Conclusion CHAPTER VII TRAINING THE TEACHERS 83 The supply of teachers Economics graduate in short supply No shortage in Sweden Effect on Economics of COmprehensive schools Length of the Teacher Training courses Content,of Teacher Training course Teaching practice Industrial and commercial experience Continuous updating 1n-service training Teachers' centres Teachers' associations A European centre for documentation and information in the teaching of economics The teacher as .a manager of resources Team teaching Research an development CHAPTER VIII ASSESSING THE CANDIDATES 91 Purpose of the examinations Examination methodology Examination marking Objective testing Assessing reliability Assessing validity Assessing comparability The Pass/Fail concept Problem of congruence Pupil participation CHAPTER IX A CHALLENGING FUTURE FOR ECONOMICS 103 Study of Economics as a factor of economic growth Economics at the Lower Secondary Level Economics at university level Economics and Business Studies Need to study wholly planned economies Is there a Western European Economy A study of developing economies An International Baccalaureate A European University - 4 - ABBREVIATIONS The following abbreviations have been used throughout the text, A Austria B Belgium CH Switzerland CY Cyprus D Federal Republic of Germany DK Denmark E Spain EIR Ireland F France GB England and Wales I Italy L Luxembourg M Malta N Norway NL Netherlands S Sweden SL Scotland TR Turkey PREFACE Over the past decade the Council of Europe has increasingly interested itself in the process of curricular reform. Thus, in 1965 it commissioned the Oxford University Department of Educational Studies to un- dertake a series of comparative studies to investigate the possibility of achieving greater harmonization in the curricula and examinations