Presentation of economic content in textbooks
The aim of the study is to investigate the presentation of economic content in 40 textbooks in the social science subject group at secondary levels I and II in various federal states. Innovations compared to previous studies are:
- The differentiation of textual material into presentation and position texts,
- The consideration of tasks and their criteria-based analysis and
- The analysis of the teachers' volumes and thus supposed sample solutions for the tasks examined.
The project ties in with earlier research projects of the FNF Foundation, in which textbooks were also analyzed. The present project will therefore also focus on long-term trends in the presentation of economic content.
Project description
The project systematically examines how economic topics are taught in German textbooks for various subjects and school levels. The central question is to what extent and in what quality economic content is represented in central teaching media and which subject-specific perspectives are adopted.
The starting point is the central role of textbooks as the leading medium of school teaching, which structures content, prepares it didactically and makes a significant contribution to lesson design. Against this background, the project analyzes textbooks in the subject groups of economics, economics-politics, geography, social studies and history at secondary levels I and II.
The study follows a product-oriented approach to textbook research and aims to examine economic content not only in terms of its scope, but in particular with regard to its subject-specific depth, perspectivity and didactic quality. In doing so, both presentation texts, task formats and teacher volumes are taken into account in order to gain as comprehensive a picture as possible of the actual teaching of economics education.
Focal points of the project
- Analysis of the presentation of economic content in different subject groups and school levels
- Examination of the subject-specific perspective (economic thinking vs. purely content-based presentation)
- Analysis of central topics such as entrepreneurship, the state, justice and globalization
- Evaluation of the didactic quality of tasks and materials
- Examination of perspectivity and possible distortions in textbooks
- Comparison of results between subjects, school levels and previous studies
Everything at a glance
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Duration
01.04.2023 - 31.10.2023 -
Research area
Media and culture -
Funding
On behalf of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the Association of Family Entrepreneurs
Research methods & procedure
Sample and object of investigation
The study examines 40 textbooks from different subject groups and school levels as well as their teacher's books, which represent a broad cross-section of school practice in Germany.
Qualitative content analysis
The textbooks are systematically coded on the basis of central aspects of content analysis (e.g. entrepreneurship, state, justice) and evaluated with regard to their presentation and perspectivity.
Quantitative evaluation and category system
This is supplemented by a quantitative analysis of frequencies, proportions and distributions in order to reveal structural patterns and weightings.
Task and didactic analysis
A particular focus is on analyzing the task formats with regard to the level of requirements, competence orientation and the promotion of economic thinking.
Funding bodies and cooperation partners
The research project was commissioned by DIE FAMILIENUNTERNEHMER e. V. and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and carried out in close cooperation with the Center for Economic Education in Siegen (ZÖBIS).
The cooperation combines scientific expertise with practical perspectives from business and education policy and thus enables a well-founded analysis of economic education in the school context.