Assessing the Economic Knowledge Among Beginning Students in Higher Education in Germany

• In Event: Internationalization of Education Reform

Abstract

The domain economics is characterized by a strong internationalization. Economics fundamentals are of importance world-wide and relevant across various degree courses. In this study, the economic content knowledge of beginning students in business and economics at ten German higher education institutions is assessed by means of a German adaptation of the US-American Test of Economic Literacy. Findings indicate that beginning students’ economic knowledge varies greatly within institutions, less so across institutions. As expected, attended economic learning opportunities in secondary education significantly influence economic prior knowledge at the beginning of a degree course. As a result, beginning students at higher education institutions exhibit very heterogeneous prior knowledge. These findings suggest approaches for higher education institutions to manage the heterogeneous entry conditions.

Authors

• Roland Happ, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Manuel Förster, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Sebastian Brueckner, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Susanne Schmidt, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz