Transcript Assessing progression in students’ economic understanding

Assessing progression in
students’ economic
understanding: the role of
threshold concepts
Peter Davies and Jean Mangan,
IEPR, Staffordshire University
Students’ intellectual journey in
HE
• general terms- several strands have been
suggested e.g. epistemological beliefs
expressed through critical reasoning
• highly specific - variation theory, revealing
different ways of understanding particular
phenomena
• between the generalist and the highly specific
approach, are characteristics of progression in
understanding that are typical of one domain,
but not of others?
Threshold Concepts : A domain specific model
of progression in student understanding in
Higher Education
Threshold Concepts
integrate, transform, set
boundaries to domain and
probably are irreversible and
troublesome for the learner.
But
what do they transform?
what do they integrate?
Type of
conceptual
change
Type of transformation and
integration
Examples in economics
1. Basic
Newly met concepts some of
which transform understanding
of everyday experience through
integration of personal
experience with ideas from
discipline.
Distinctions between
income/wealth (stocks/flows);
nominal/real values;
investment/saving. Withdrawals,
injections.
2.Discipline
Threshold
concepts
Understanding of other subject
discipline ideas (including other
threshold concepts) integrated
and transformed through
acquisition of theoretical
perspective
Partial equilibrium, welfare
economics, marginality,
opportunity cost, cumulative
causation.
3. Modelling
Concepts
Ability to construct discipline
specific narratives and
arguments transformed through
acquisition of ways of
practising.
Comparative statics (equilibrium,
ceteris paribus), time (shortterm, long-term, expectations),
elasticity
The Web of Concepts
Modelling
Concepts
Basic
Concepts
Threshold
Discipline
Concepts
What is to be expected of first year
students given the TC approach?
• If students have gone through the threshold then
there is a major problem in assessment – the
problem is in the preliminal and liminal space
and we expect them to be in this space at level 1
• Students take different pathways to the
threshold - TCs do NOT suggest a linear
progression
• Students vacillate between levels of
understanding/not understanding
First year students:
criteria for assessment
1. the understanding of a range of basic
concepts.
2. the ability to use the procedures of
economics (particularly comparative
statics at level 1).
3. an emerging understanding of threshold
concepts.
Approach of Study
• Threshold Concepts
- takes account of the distinctive features of a discipline
- need an understanding of the ways that concepts are integrated and
understanding develops within the discipline.
- using the distinction between the different types of concepts and their
interaction in interpreting variation in student responses.
• Draws on a development of variation theory (phenomenography)
- the ‘learning study’ approach of Marton : approach of getting
students to reveal their understanding of particular phenomena,
categorising different conceptions revealed, devising tasks to progress
understanding
- learning studies have generally used in depth interviews but in this
study use was made of written examination answers to reveal students’
conceptions.
This Study: data
• Written examination sat by First Year
Business students
• Understanding of changes in the level of
national income (using ‘Circular Flow of
Income’) assessed through 4 optional
questions.
• Section A, short questions: explain and
give example of use of ‘withdrawals’,
‘discretionary fiscal policy’
Section B, longer applied questions
1. The following is a short extract from the minutes of the Monetary
Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the 8th and 9th November 2006.
‘… Most measures of investment intentions had strengthened……... Most
surveys of export orders had also picked up. That was probably in
large part due to the euro-area recovery, which appeared to have been
sustained during the second half of 2006.’
Explain the effect of these changes on the economy (you may want to
use an appropriate diagram). The MPC recommended raising interest
rates given these changes in the economy. What would be the
expected effect of this increase?
•
What factors affect consumer expenditure? What would be the
influence on the whole economy of a fall in consumer confidence?
Method of Analysis
Adjustment of the variation theory approach:
• Sub-sample of scripts examined to establish
characteristics and categorise
• Sample of MSc/lecturers answers considered
to see if these revealed additional categories
that might be expected.
• Scripts of all those who answered the
questions were classified.
Checked between two researchers.
This Study: qualitative differences
Two stages of analysis of qualitative differences between students’
answers.
‘ This is when income is withdrawn from the economy it can be by
either savings or taxation etc. For example the government may
want to withdraw money from the economy so they may put up
taxes, this leaves consumers with less disposable incomes.’
(Student 1).
‘If on the circular flow of income withdrawals outweigh injections then
the economy shrinks and aggregate demand falls. If we then look at
the multiplier effect we can see if this downward spiral continues as
demand for GDP products would decrease, causing job losses and
unemployment to rise.’ (Student 2)
This Study: qualitative differences
(cont)
Two stages of analysis of qualitative differences between students’
answers.
‘ This is when income is withdrawn from the economy it can be by
either savings or taxation etc. For example the government may
want to withdraw money from the economy so they may put up
taxes, this leaves consumers with less disposable incomes.’
(Student 1).
‘If on the circular flow of income withdrawals outweigh injections
then the economy shrinks and aggregate demand falls. If we then
look at the multiplier effect we can see if this downward spiral
continues as demand for GDP products would decrease, causing
job losses and unemployment to rise.’ (Student 2)
This Study: qualitative differences
(cont)
Two stages of analysis of qualitative differences between students’
answers.
‘ This is when income is withdrawn from the economy it can be by
either savings or taxation etc. For example the government may
want to withdraw money from the economy so they may put up
taxes, this leaves consumers with less disposable incomes.’
(Student 1).
‘If on the circular flow of income withdrawals outweigh injections
then the economy shrinks and aggregate demand falls. If we then
look at the multiplier effect we can see if this downward spiral
continues as demand for GDP products would decrease,
causing job losses and unemployment to rise.’ (Student 2)
Hierarchy of ways of understanding
No clear understanding
Identification of elements of system
Understands directionality
Beginnings of understanding of process of
cumulative causation.
Understanding of limit to process.
So what is the transformation and
integration occurring from one level of
understanding to the next?
‘In a recession the government can cut taxes to try and
reflate the economy. This happens as consumers have
more disposable income and more money to spend. Or
it can inject money into the economy by extra
government expenditure. For example, if they build a
new school they will have to hire a firm to build it. This
firm will employ workers who will earn a wage and would
be able to spend their disposable income on goods and
services, benefiting other firms and reflating the
economy as a whole. One note of caution when using
discretionary fiscal policy is that it is based on the state
of the economy now and in the future. The wrong timing
of implementing the policy could be disastrous.’
So what is the transformation and
integration occurring from one level of
understanding to the next?
‘In a recession the government can cut taxes to try and
reflate the economy. This happens as consumers have
more disposable income and more money to spend. Or
it can inject money into the economy by extra
government expenditure. For example, if they build a
new school they will have to hire a firm to build it. This
firm will employ workers who will earn a wage and
would be able to spend their disposable income on
goods and services, benefiting other firms and
reflating the economy as a whole. One note of caution
when using discretionary fiscal policy is that it is based
on the state of the economy now and in the future. The
wrong timing of implementing the policy could be
disastrous.’
What is there and what is missing
from this analysis?
• Using various basic concepts in a way that suggests
understanding, understands directionality, with
ingredients for developing a systematic understanding.
Some critical appraisal.
• But does not indicates that he fully understands the
system – lack of a key modelling concept. Lack of
understanding of comparative static analysis and in
particular the role equilibrium and how elements in the
framework will automatically adjust to achieve this.
Numbers of students replying by category
of response
Category of
response
Section 1
Section 2
Withdrawals
Fiscal
Policy
Monetary
Policy
Consumer
Confidence
a
2
2
1
2
b
10
4
0
0
c
11
11
4
10
d
3
5
4
5
e
0
0
0
0
Conclusions
• Students start to use the language of a discipline
conception such as the multiplier before they have
developed an understanding which an expert might infer
from such terms.
• Although the majority of students referred to a step in the
process and some to ‘knock-on’ effects, none described
the process leading to equilibrium.
• Tentative suggestion greater emphasis in teaching to
contrasting ‘knock-on effects’ to an equilibrating system
may improve understanding.
• Do we spend enough time discussing the processes we
use?
etc project
www.staffs.ac.uk/thresholdconcepts