Using a Fox to Guard the Geese? A German Debate on the Purposes of Economic Education in Relation to Sustainability and the Role of Values

Abstract

What is the purpose of economic education? What role do values play in economic education? These questions have been deliberated on in a German debate on the role of economic education within education for sustainability. The authors draw on this discussion in order to specify the purpose of economic education in the field of education for sustainability and to examine the role of values in economic knowledge. They claim, first, that values education is an important part of economic education; second, that values that are important for environmental sensitisation must be discussed as 'controversial'; and third, that economic knowledge is a basic requirement in this field.

Energy Policy as a Socio-Scientific Issue: Argumentation in the Context of Economic, Environmental and Citizenship Education

“…Researchers concur as to the importance of developing teachers' and students' background in economics and the value of environmental education (EE) in helping to understand systematic economic structures and incentives (such as market prices or government tax/subsidies) that can cause environmental damage [9][10][11]. Economic knowledge can also contribute to the development of learners' decision-making competencies.…”

“…Some researchers promote the scientific neo-classical approach that focuses on how economic systems can find effective solutions, at a reasonable cost, to environmental problems [10]. Others argue that the main role of economic knowledge in EE is to critique neo-classical doctrines, since EE aims to highlight the problems engendered by this type of economics [11]. This debate is linked to differences between 'neo-classical economics' and 'ecological economics' solutions to sustainability [25].…”

“…However, in environmental and civic-science education, there has been relatively little discussion or research on the way in which economics or economic thinking is taught. The few studies that have dealt with these learning issues reveal major theoretical disagreements [9][10][11]. Therefore, we suggest teaching about the natural gas export policy, using the frameworks of socio-scientific issues (SSI) and social acute questions (SAQ) [12].…”

How Green are European Curricula? A Comparative Analysis of Primary School Syllabi in Five European Countries

“…Simultaneously with the rise of an intense political debate on environmental issues in the early 1970s, environmental education became part of pedagogical discourses and, as a consequence, of curricular implementations in all parts at least of the western world (Rank, 2013). At this time, environmental education emphasised nature studies and nature experience to raise environmental awareness (Seeber & Birke, 2011). Even if the focus has since changed (see below), more than 90% of 28 countries report that their national curriculum recommends outdoor activities as part of EE (Varga, 2005).…”

“…Further articles broach the issue of curricular integration in selected school types and in particular countries (e.g. Ferguson, 2008;Jóhannesson et al, 2011, Seeber & Birke, 2011. Presumably, there are many more publications of this kind published only in the respective national languages, making them difficult to find and compare.…”