IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/dlw/wpaper/13-11..html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Success in Economics Major: Is it Path Dependent?

Author

Listed:
  • CARLOS J. ASARTA

    (Department of Economics,University of Delaware)

  • ROGER B. BUTTERS

    (Department of Economics,University of Nebraska)

  • ANDREW PERUMAL

    (Department of Economics,University of Massachusetts)

Abstract

The economics profession has consistently demonstrated an interest in increasing the number of students exposed to economics, providing students with a quality education and identifying the key determinants of student success in the economics curriculum. Several strategies have been recommended and include implementing an applied approach rather than a theoretical approach (Okoye, 2011), exposing students to economics as early as possible in their undergraduate careers (Fournier and Sass, 2000), assigning popular professors to principles courses (Becker, 1997; Margo and Siegfried, 1996), modifying the curriculum to make economics more accessible to a broader range of students (Bartlett, 1995) or presenting material in a way that is relevant and interesting to students (Siegfried and Raymond, 1984).

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos J. Asarta & Roger B. Butters & Andrew Perumal, 2013. "Success in Economics Major: Is it Path Dependent?," Working Papers 13-11, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:dlw:wpaper:13-11.
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.lerner.udel.edu/sites/default/files/ECON/PDFs/RePEc/dlw/WorkingPapers/2013/UDWP13-11.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lindsay Noble Calkins & Andrew Welki, 2006. "Factors that influence choice of major: why some students never consider economics," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 33(8), pages 547-564, August.
    2. John J. Siegfried, 2010. "Trends in Undergraduate Economics Degrees, 1991--2009," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(3), pages 326-330, June.
    3. Kurtis J. Swope & Pamela M. Schmitt, 2006. "The Performance of Economics Graduates over the Entire Curriculum: The Determinants of Success," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 387-394, October.
    4. Steven C. Myers & Michael A. Nelson & Richard W. Stratton, 2011. "Assessment of the Undergraduate Economics Major: A National Survey," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(2), pages 195-199, June.
    5. W. Lee Hansen, 2001. "Expected Proficiencies for Undergraduate Economics Majors," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 231-242, January.
    6. Carlos J. Asarta & Roger B. Butters, 2012. "The Discouraged-Business-Major Hypothesis Revisited: Could Economics be the Encouraged-Business-Major?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 19-32, January.
    7. Bartlett, Robin L, 1995. "Attracting "Otherwise Bright Students" to Economics 101," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(2), pages 362-366, May.
    8. Donald Elliott & John Meisel & Warren Richards, 1998. "The Senior Project: Using the Literature of Distinguished Economists," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(4), pages 312-320, January.
    9. Charles L. Ballard & Marianne F. Johnson, 2004. "Basic Math Skills and Performance in an Introductory Economics Class," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 3-23, January.
    10. Siegfried, John J & Raymond, Jennie E, 1984. "A Profile of Senior Economics Majors in the United States," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(2), pages 19-25, May.
    11. Daniel R. Marburger, 2006. "Does Mandatory Attendance Improve Student Performance?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 148-155, April.
    12. Kenneth G. Elzinga, 2001. "Fifteen Theses on Classroom Teaching," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 68(2), pages 249-257, October.
    13. John J. Siegfried, 2001. "Principles for a Successful Undergraduate Economics Honors Program," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 169-177, January.
    14. Kevin N. Rask & Elizabeth M. Bailey, 2002. "Are Faculty Role Models? Evidence from Major Choice in an Undergraduate Institution," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 99-124, June.
    15. Hirschel Kasper, 2005. "Peer to Peer: Right and Wrong Lessons for Department Reviews," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 185-197, April.
    16. J J Arias & Douglas M. Walker, 2004. "Additional Evidence on the Relationship between Class Size and Student Performance," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 311-329, October.
    17. Johan N. M. Lagerlöf & Andrew J. Seltzer, 2009. "The Effects of Remedial Mathematics on the Learning of Economics: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 115-137, April.
    18. David H. Dean & Robert C. Dolan, 2001. "Liberal Arts or Business: Does the Location of the Economics Department Alter the Major?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(1), pages 18-35, January.
    19. William E. Becker, 1997. "Teaching Economics to Undergraduates," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(3), pages 1347-1373, September.
    20. Gary M. Fournier & Tim R. Sass, 2000. "Take My Course, Please : The Effects of the Principles Experience on Student Curriculum Choice," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 323-339, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Franklin G. Mixon & Richard J. Cebula (ed.), 2014. "New Developments in Economic Education," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15538.
    2. Phillip Saunders, 2011. "A history of economic education," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Sam Allgood & William B. Walstad & John J. Siegfried, 2015. "Research on Teaching Economics to Undergraduates," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 285-325, June.
    4. Tisha L. N. Emerson & KimMarie McGoldrick & John J. Siegfried, 2018. "The Gender Gap in Economics Degrees: An Investigation of the Role Model and Quantitative Requirements Hypotheses," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(3), pages 898-911, January.
    5. Ishuan Li & Robert Simonson, 2016. "Capstone senior research course in economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(2), pages 161-167, April.
    6. David Zetland & Carlo Russo & Navin Yavapolkul, 2010. "Teaching Economic Principles: Algebra, Graph or Both?," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 55(1), pages 123-131, May.
    7. Leonard C. Smith, 2009. "An Analysis Of The Impact Of Pedagogic Interventions In First‐Year Academic Development And Mainstream Courses In Microeconomics," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 77(1), pages 162-178, March.
    8. Ann L. Owen, 2011. "Student Characteristics, Behavior, and Performance in Economics Classes," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 32, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Ivo J. M. Arnold & Jerry T. Straten, 2012. "Motivation and Math Skills as Determinants of First-Year Performance in Economics," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 33-47, January.
    10. Ivo J. M. Arnold & Wietske Rowaan, 2014. "First-Year Study Success in Economics and Econometrics: The Role of Gender, Motivation, and Math Skills," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 25-35, March.
    11. William Bosshardt & Michael Watts & William E. Becker, 2013. "Course Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees in Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 643-647, May.
    12. Anna Maximova & Steve Muchiri & Mihai Paraschiv, 2023. "A Stroll Down the Dollar Street: Teaching Per-Capita GDP Using Internationally Comparable Photographs," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 8(2), pages 87-113, May.
    13. Andrew Worthington & Helen Higgs, 2003. "Factors explaining the choice of a finance major: the role of students' characteristics, personality and perceptions of the profession," Accounting Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 1-21.
    14. Tasnádi, Attila & Kánnai, Zoltán & Pintér, Miklós, 2010. "Matematikaoktatás a bolognai típusú gazdasági képzésekben [Maths instruction in Bologna-type economics tuition]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(3), pages 261-277.
    15. Büchele, Stefan, 2020. "Should we trust math preparatory courses? An empirical analysis on the impact of students’ participation and attendance on short- and medium-term effects," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 154-167.
    16. Curtis R. Price & Perry Burnett & Daria Sevastianova, 2022. "The attitudinal gender gap of an economics education," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(1), pages 233-243.
    17. Leiv Opstad, 2023. "The Relationship Between Norwegian Business Students’ Attitudes Towards Mathematics And Success In Business Education," International Journal of Teaching and Education, European Research Center, vol. 11(1), pages 47-60, December.
    18. Li, Ishuan & Simonson, Robert D., 2016. "The value of a redesigned program and capstone course in economics," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 48-58.
    19. Roger B. Butters & Carlos J. Asarta & Tammie J. Fischer, 2011. "Human Capital in The Classroom: The Role of Teacher Knowledge in Economic Literacy," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 56(2), pages 47-57, November.
    20. Dino Alves & Ana Balcao Reis & Carmo Seabra & Luis Catela-Nunes, 2015. "Determinants of Academic Success in Economics and Management," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 10, in: Marta Rahona López & Jennifer Graves (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 10, edition 1, volume 10, chapter 17, pages 335-356, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics Major; Undergraduate; Education; Assessment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A10 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - General
    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:dlw:wpaper:13-11.. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Saul Hoffman (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deudeus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.