Reading economics, thinking education: The relevance—and irrelevance—of economic theory for curriculum research

Abstract

This paper aims to better understand economists’ increasingly influential voice to the conversation of schooling and education. It draws on curriculum theory to develop a framework for analysis of current economic research in education. The framework consists of the following tri-partition: the political, the practical, and the programmatical. Through this framework, the authors are able to discuss a broad range of economics of education articles. The aim is 2-fold: partly to convey important insights into findings and tools of relevance to educational research, but ultimately to improve curriculum research. This study draws attention to areas of educational research, and particularly curriculum theory, where the insights of economists might be used with caution and in light of current thinking in curriculum research. A central finding from the analysis is that the two traditions (education and economics) are more complementary than conflicting. Yet, it is argued that, by failing to engage with educational literature, economists included in this review greatly over-simplify schooling and education.

Keywords:

• economics of education
• curriculum studies
• education policy
• education research

Notes

1. In the Anglo-Saxon tradition, one normally speaks nowadays of ‘schooling’ if the issue is ‘school in general’. ‘Schooling’ is normally discussed in a social/sociological perspective with a focus on, for example, the social functions of schooling, the interplay between schools and their environments, etc. In the German-speaking area (but also in most Northern and East European countries), there is a strong, more than 200-year-old tradition of conceptualizing school from ‘within’, i.e. to ask what the inner meaning and ways of enactment of ‘school’ are. School is primarily not defined in sociological, but rather in educational and philosophical terms. These traditionally very visible differences have become somewhat blurred in recent years, not the least by the impact of internationally successful comparative assessment research which operates by and large without any specific concept of school (what is the inner work of schools?), and a rather simplified econometric model of the relationship between school and society (what is the outcome of schooling?).

2. A classic theme in European Sociology is the issue of why society doesn’t fall apart. From Durkheim to Habermas the issue of why people remain loyal has been an overarching theme. The European focus on education as enculturation can be seen against this backdrop: Education is legitimized through its function as providing coherence and continuance for society, as much as a vehicle for the individual pursuit of happpiness.

3. The definition here is in line with the pedagogical liberals (Labaree 2006), including Dewey, rather than social Darwinists such as Kidd (Knoll 2009).