Who Cares about economics?

Overview

STEM education researchers have found that students who are intrinsically interested in a subject perform better in courses within that area of study. Researchers have also shown that intrinsic motivation varies substantially across students, and different types of courses do better (and worse) jobs fostering this kind of motivation. However, most of what we know about intrinsic motivation comes from analyses of single courses in physics, chemistry, and biology.

In this project, we contribute our own analysis of the determinants and consequences of intrinsic motivation using data from 27 economics courses. Our preliminary results show that students enter their economics courses with fairly positive attitudes, and male students and those who are planning to major in economics arrive particularly interested in the subject. We also find that less advantaged students are on average less likely to improve their attitudes toward economics during the term, and in some cases more likely to see declines. After controlling for other characteristics, students who find economics interesting seem to learn more than other students in the introductory courses.