Improving the Teaching of Economics: Achievements and Aspirations

Abstract

Achievements and possible future projects of the American Economic Association's Committee on Economic Education (CEE), whose goal is to improve teaching in college and university economics, are discussed. The Teacher Training Program (TTP) was established by the CEE in the 1970's to develop programs to train economic educators. To date the project has developed a resource manual and conducted workshops for graduate students and training programs for 25 institutions. The CEE has also successfully emphazised the promotion of research on economic education. For example, economic research has benefited enormously from the development of a standardized test, the Test of Understanding College Economics, originally sponsored by CEE in 1968. A third CEE achievement was the co-founding with the Joint Council on Economic Education of the Journal of Economic Education, which publishes research reports on teaching. The focus of new projects which the CEE is considering includes computer-assisted instruction, the use of radio in teaching economics, learning theory and research as a foundation for teaching economics, increasing the supply of women as economics teachers, and cooperation with schools of education. (RM)