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Relevance, Belonging, and Growth in Economic Education

Paper Session

Friday, Jan. 3, 2025 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM (PST)

Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Hosted By: American Economic Association & Committee on Economic Education
  • Chair: Amanda Bayer, Swarthmore College

Relevance, Belonging, and Growth Mindset: A Research Framework

Sam Allgood
,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
KimMarie McGoldrick
,
University of Richmond

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of relevance, belonging, and growth mindset (RBG) within economic education research, building on five decades of continuous inquiry into the efficacy of teaching and learning methods. While specific methods have changed over time, the goal of enhancing student outcomes is persistent throughout. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive these outcomes remain poorly understood. By incorporating RBG, which captures the student’s perception of the material's relevance, their feeling of social integration within academic settings, and their belief in the potential for intellectual growth, this framework aims to identify how educational interventions can influence learning processes and outcomes. We advocate for this research framework to develop better answers for enduring questions related to how educational strategies can foster improved academic engagement and performance across diverse student populations.

Sense of Belonging and Peer Effects in Principles of Economics: An Experiment in Group Formation

Derek Stimel
,
University of California-Davis
Janine Lynn Flathmann Wilson
,
University of California-Davis

Abstract

Evidence suggests that under-represented minority and female students enter introductory courses with a lower sense of belonging than their non-URM male peers (Bayer et al, 2020). Evidence also suggests the importance of peer effects along many dimensions including the effect on academic performance (Hoxby, 2000; Carrell, Hoekstra, and West, 2011). Our experiment exploits a natural split in a hybrid version of a principles of microeconomics course; that is, half the students in the class attend lectures on Tuesdays and the other half on Thursdays. This allows us to deploy two different methods of small group formation; one where the students self-select their own groups often based on friends or haphazardly by where they are sitting in the lecture hall and the other where the instructor selects the groups specifically to balance the gender, URM-status, and educational background of the group. Data is collected from course assessments, student surveys, and the institution. We then assess the extent to which the construction of the groups affects student sense of belonging in economics. We also examine how the academic achievement and sense of belonging among group peers affects a students’ own sense of belonging. This allows us to see a more holistic picture of a student sense of belonging and the role that peer effects may play. Sense of belonging has been shown as a factor affecting student persistence in a major (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). In this context, we consider the possibility of how groups are formed may help or hinder diversity efforts in the economics major.

The Impact of Institution Type on Developing Relevance, Belonging, and Growth Mindset in Economics: Evidence from a Multi-Year Survey

Kristine West
,
St. Catherine University
Caroline Kraft
,
St. Catherine University
Allen Bellas
,
Metro State University
Ming Lo
,
Metro State University

Abstract

This is the second paper in a two-part project that investigates the impact of institutional setting on racial/ethnic minority students and women in economics. Past research has established that under-represented minority and women students have significantly lower relevance, belonging, and growth mindset (RBG) in predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and co-ed settings (Bayer, Bhanot, et al. 2020). The first paper in this project used the first wave of student survey data from 24 institutions to document disparities, particularly for minority-identifying students, but to some extent for women as well, in RBG across a variety of settings (Krafft et al. 2023). Additionally, the initial research established baseline differences in RBG at minority serving institutions (MSIs) and women’s colleges. For example, we found students at women’s colleges reported higher relevance of course material but were more likely to feel different from the typical economist.
This new research will report results from the second wave of the survey and address whether changes in RBG over time differ by identity and across institution types, as well as shape persistence in economics. The longitudinal nature of the data will allow us to employ value added models to study: (1) whether students with higher levels of RBG have greater persistence in economics; (2) whether RBG grows faster (or slower) for students at women’s colleges and MSIs than at co-educational colleges and PWIs; (3) whether identity and institution type shape persistence in economics; and (4) whether RBG mediates any impact of women’s colleges and MSIs on female- and minority-identifying students in economics.

Fostering Belonging Can Be Cost-Effective

Sara Avila
,
University of Colorado-Boulder

Abstract

Cost-effectiveness is an essential trait for any economist, even economists who teach. The main reason 89% of economic instruction is through lectures is because they are perceived as cost-effective. This paper presents three cost-effective examples of strategies to foster belonging. Instructors save time and effort using these strategies while fostering inclusion and belonging. The first is having structure, the second is using groups, and the third is using student discussions. Validating student presence permeates as a critical ingredient.

Discussant(s)
Laura Ahlstrom
,
Oklahoma State University
Gina Pieters
,
University of Chicago
Wendy Stock
,
Montana State University
William Bosshardt
,
Florida Atlantic University
JEL Classifications
  • A2 - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics
  • A1 - General Economics