Effects of Prior Knowledge and Intelligence on the Development of Economic Knowledge in Higher Education

• In Event: 51.081 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Nine - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 51.081-2 - Learning in the Disciplines

Abstract

Even though a significant amount of resources is invested, it remains unclear whether the goal of developing knowledge is actually achieved in higher education. In Germany, a test for measuring economic knowledge was developed, enabling the analysis of knowledge increase over the course of studies. Investigating 748 students over the course of one study year, we found that domain-specific knowledge at study entry can significantly predict knowledge after one year, independent of other influencing factors such as general intellectual ability, attended courses and information use. Measuring knowledge at the beginning of studies provides important evidence for the design of orientation courses and catering to the needs of students with lower domain-specific knowledge levels at the beginning of their studies.

Authors

• Jasmin Schlax, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Olga Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Carla Kühling-Thees, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

• Tobias Deribo, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Judith Jitomirski, Humboldt University - Berlin

• Roland Happ, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

• Hans Anand Pant, Humboldt University - Berlin

• Marie-Theres Nagel, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz