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Expanding and diversifying the pool of undergraduates who study economics: Insights from a new introductory course at Harvard

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Bayer
  • Gregory Bruich
  • Raj Chetty
  • Andrew Housiaux

Abstract

Economics does not attract as broad or diverse a pool of talent as it could. For example, women comprise less than one-third of economics bachelor’s degree recipients, significantly lower than in math or statistics. The authors present a case study of a new introductory economics course that enrolled 400 students, achieved nearly 50–50 gender balance, and was among the highest-rated courses at Harvard. They summarize the course’s content and pedagogy, illustrate how this approach differs from traditional courses, and identify elements of the approach that appear to underlie its success: personal connection, real-world exposure, scientific inquiry, career value, and social relevance. They conclude by discussing how these ideas for improving economics instruction could be applied in other courses and tested empirically in future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Bayer & Gregory Bruich & Raj Chetty & Andrew Housiaux, 2020. "Expanding and diversifying the pool of undergraduates who study economics: Insights from a new introductory course at Harvard," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(3-4), pages 364-379, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jeduce:v:51:y:2020:i:3-4:p:364-379
    DOI: 10.1080/00220485.2020.1804511
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    Cited by:

    1. Antman, Francisca M. & Skoy, Evelyn & Flores, Nicholas E., 2025. "Can Better Information Reduce College Gender Gaps? The Impact of Relative Grade Signals on Academic Outcomes for Students in Introductory Economics," IZA Discussion Papers 18001, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Cynthia Harter & Diego Mendez-Carbajo, 2024. "Diving into the Gap: Recognizing Gender Differences in an Online Learning Activity," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 79-102, January.
    3. Graziella Bertocchi & Luca Bonacini & Marina Murat, 2021. "Adams and Eves: The Gender Gap in Economics Majors," EIEF Working Papers Series 2115, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF), revised Dec 2021.
    4. Todd Pugatch & Elizabeth Schroeder, 2021. "Promoting Female Interest in Economics: Limits to Nudges," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 123-127, May.
    5. Todd Pugatch & Elizabeth Schroeder, 2024. "A simple nudge increases socioeconomic diversity in undergraduate Economics," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 287-307, January.
    6. Cynthia Harter & Rebecca G. Chambers & Carlos J. Asarta, 2022. "Assessing Learning in College Economics: A Sixth National Quinquennial Survey," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 251-266, April.
    7. Depro, Brooks, 2022. "Making introductory economics more relevant: Using personalized connections to introduce environmental economics," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    8. Graziella Bertocchi & Luca Bonacini & Marina Murat, 2023. "Adams and Eves: High school math and the gender gap in Economics majors," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(4), pages 798-817, October.
    9. Moritz A. Drupp & Ulrike Kornek & Jasper N. Meya & Lutz Sager, 2021. "Inequality and the Environment: The Economics of a Two-Headed Hydra," CESifo Working Paper Series 9447, CESifo.
    10. Allison Shwachman Kaminaga & Aziz N. Berdiev & Laura Beaudin, 2024. "Using the Fed Challenge to Enrich the Teaching of a Money and Banking Class," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 50(2), pages 213-234, April.
    11. Graziella Bertocchi & Luca Bonacini & Marina Murat, 2021. "Adams and Eves: The Gender Gap in Economics Majors," Department of Economics 0196, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    12. Depro, Brooks & Rouse, Kathryn, 2022. "Adapting the case method in an economics capstone research course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    13. Gourley, Patrick, 2024. "Environmental economics in the wild: Using long-form journalism and other mass media in the classroom," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A2 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics

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