Research in Economic Education
Paper Session
Friday, Jan. 3, 2025 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM (PST)
- Chair: Sarah Jacobson, Williams College
Do State Economics Education Mandates Impact Diversity in Economics?
Abstract
Research has documented that the longstanding and continuing underrepresentation of women and underrepresented minorities (URM) in economics negatively affects the discipline's ability to attract students and produce robust and relevant knowledge. A large research literature has examined factors behind this underrepresentation in economics, particularly in undergraduate economics.According to Allgood et al. (2015), the proportion of women and URM majoring in economics is not markedly influenced by the presence of similar faculty role models, by economics mathematics requirements, or by students’ prior math training or performance in introductory economics. What is clear is that the gender and URM gap begins early. Women are less likely than their male counterparts to express interest in economics during high school or to enroll in introductory economics in college, which in turn affects the number of women and URM in economics.
Whether students choose to enroll in economics may be impacted by their pre-college exposure to economics, but this pathway has not been previously examined. This study examines whether state policies mandating that students take economics in high school are related to college-level economics enrollment. We use restricted-access data that includes students’ transcript information to assess whether and when they took economics and whether they majored in economics, as well as students’ state of residence to assess whether the student was exposed to a high school economics mandate. Using two-stage difference-in-difference analysis we find that students from states with economics mandates are more likely to enroll in college economics. The effect of the mandates is larger for Hispanic and non-white students than for white students. We also find some evidence that high school economics mandates positively impact students’ grades in introductory college microeconomics.
How Academic Mindset Evolves During Economics Courses
Abstract
Academic mindset is a term that refers to a bundle of related attitudes that are potentially important for students' success. These attitudes include self-efficacy, sense of belonging, relevance of the course material, and growth mindset. We explore whether students' demographic characteristics are predictive of their initial mindset and whether that mindset changes throughout a semester. Importantly, we ask separately about general attitudes and economics-specific attitudes. Our sample includes responses from more than 2,600 students at 23 different U.S. institutions. Generally, we find that students who identify as female, prefer to self-describe gender, or prefer not to report their gender have a lower sense of belonging within economics, but not necessarily within their institution as a whole, compared to students who identify as male. We also find that students who do not identify as male are more likely to have a lower general growth mindset, a lower economics growth mindset, a lower self-efficacy in general and within economics, and are much less likely to think about economics in their daily life, find the subject interesting, or plan to take a future economics course. Further, we find that not identifying as male also predicts that there is a lower chance of improving these measures during a semester. This has important implications for diversifying the field of economics, as academic mindset has been shown to be an important determinant of student success.Who Studies Economics
Abstract
This report investigates the “leaky pipeline” in economics in the United Kingdom, where individuals from certain demographic groups, particularly women and ethnic minorities, are more likely to leave the field at various stages of their education and career. This results in a lack of diversity and under-representation in the profession. We provide a comprehensive analysis of diversity in university study of economics by exploring the intersection of socio-economic background, gender, and ethnicity among economics students. The focus of this report is on UK undergraduate students, examining who chooses to study economics, who graduates and their academic outcomes. The report identifies potential barriers to entry and retention, and opportunities for promoting greater diversity and inclusion in the field. We aim to inform strategies for government, employers, and universities to address structural issues in the economics pipeline and promote greater representation of under-represented groups in the profession. It emphasizes the key role of diversity in enhancing the development of economics as a field of study and a profession and addressing the challenges facing the economy and society. It also suggests a path for producing future economists from a rich range of backgrounds and experience in both the public and private sectors, as well as in academia.JEL Classifications
- A2 - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics
- A1 - General Economics