Report on Survey of
Missouri Teacher Certification Institutions
By Dr. Tom Vontz, Rockhurst University
A Study of Teacher Preparation in Economic and Personal Finance Education in Missouri
Final Report
ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY
February 2002
SUBMITTED TO:
MISSOURI COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
BY:
Thomas S.
Vontz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Education
Rockhurst University
1100 Rockhurst Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2561
Phone (816) 501-3539
Fax (816) 501-4169
In January 2002 a group of finance, education, and government organizations formed the Missouri Coalition for Economic and Financial Literacy leading to passage of House Bill 1973 and the issuance of a Governor’s Executive Order paralleling House Bill 1973. The legislation and the Governor’s Executive Order call on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Missouri Council on Economic Education (MCEE) to conduct a “study” of Economic and Personal Finance Education. The primary purpose of the “study” is to make recommendations to improve Economic and personal financial literacy in Missouri.
The present evaluation addresses a portion of House Bill 1973 and the “study” that mandates DESE and MCEE to make:
(5) Recommendations relating to establishing appropriate undergraduate preparation requirements for teacher certification for teachers from kindergarten through twelfth grade that will enable new teachers to meet these increased expectations in Economic and Personal Finance Education.
MCEE employed an independent researcher, Thomas S. Vontz, Ph.D. of Rockhurst University to explore: (1) the teacher certification areas in Missouri that appear to have the closest connection to Economics and Personal Finance Education; (2) how pre-service teachers fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirements and Content Area Requirements in certification areas closely connected to Economic and Personal Finance Education; and, (3) ideas and suggestions to improve the preparation of pre-service teachers in Economic and Personal Finance Education.
1. Which teacher certification areas in Missouri require or encourage pre-service teachers to take one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, or dispositions?
2. In the teacher certification areas in Missouri that require one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, and dispositions, how do pre-service teachers fulfill these requirements in the 37 four-year institutions that recommend teachers for certification?
3. What ideas and suggestions do teacher educators in Missouri have to improve the preparation of pre-service teachers in Economic and Personal Finance Education?
Work on the present study began in November 2002. The certification requirements for all subject areas and grade levels in Missouri were obtained from the DESE website <http://www.dese.state.mo.us/>. A content analysis of the certification requirements in all areas was conducted to obtain a list of certification areas that seem to require one or more courses that emphasized concepts, skills, or dispositions in Economics and Personal Finance Education.
Based on the results of the content analyses of certification requirements, an initial draft of The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education was created (see Attachment A: The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education). This initial draft was sent to Stan Mengel, Executive Director for the Missouri Council on Economic Education, Mike Lucas, Director of Educator Preparation for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and David Adams, Associate Director of Educator Preparation for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for suggestions and improvements.[1]
Conducting the Survey
The current list of four-year teacher education institutions and their approved certification areas was obtained from the DESE website (see Attachment B: Approved Four-Year Teacher Education Institutions).[2] An email message (see Attachment C: Email Message #1) with The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education attached was sent to the “Teacher Education Contact Person” at all of Missouri’s 37 approved four-year institutions on November 11th. A second email message (see Attachment D: Email Message #2) with The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education attached was sent to the “Teacher Education Contact Person” at all of Missouri’s 37 approved four-year institutions on November 25th. The November 25th message and survey was also copied to the institution’s “Certification Officer” if the “Certification Officer” was not the same as the “Teacher Education Contact Person.” A third email message (See Attachment E: Email Message #3) with The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education attached was sent to the “Teacher Education Contact Person” at all of Missouri’s 37 approved four-year institutions on December 6th.
Twenty-three completed surveys were returned by December 16th. The fourteen institutions that had not returned completed surveys were called during the week of December 16th for phone interviews. The phone interviews and messages yielded the return of six additional surveys for a total of 29.
A focus group meeting was used to obtain ideas and suggestions to improve the preparation of pre-service teachers in Economic and Personal Finance Education (see Appendix F: “Focus Group Questions”). An email invitation to participate in a focus group meeting was sent to the person that was identified through The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education as the person most closely connected to Economic and Personal Finance Education at each institution completing a survey. A focus group meeting with representatives from eight institutions was conducted by phone on Tuesday, January 14th. Representatives from institutions that did not participate in the initial focus group meeting were notified of a second focus group meeting that was scheduled for Friday, January 24th.
Data are reported separately for each for each research question.
RESEARCH QUESTION #1
1. Which teacher certification areas in Missouri require or encourage pre-service teachers to take one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, or dispositions?
“As a minimum, the teaching method competencies shall include . . . Social Science to include Geography and Economics?”
Social Science (5-9)
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Social Science.”
Business Education (5-9)
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Business.”
Agricultural Education (5-9)
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Agricultural Education.”
Family and Consumer Sciences Education (5-9)
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Social Science Education (9-12)
Economics (3 hours)
Elective Social Studies (2 hours)
Business Education (9-12)
Economics (2 hours)
Accounting (3 hours)
Business/Consumer Related Law (2 hours)
Business Communications (2 hours)
Management (2 hours)
Marketing (2 hours)
Electives in Business Education (0-6 hours)
Agricultural Education (9-12)
Agricultural Business (3 hours)
Agricultural Economics (3 hours)
Elective Agricultural Education (0-12 hours)
Family and Consumer Sciences Education (9-12)
Consumer and Home Management (5 hours)
2. In the teacher certification areas in Missouri that require one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, and dispositions, how do pre-service teachers fulfill these requirements in the 37 four-year institutions that recommend teachers for certification?
The protocol for obtaining data yielded was successful (see “Research Methods,” page 3). Twenty-nine of thirty-seven four-year teacher education institutions completed and returned The Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education for an overall response rate of 78.4%. The data are reported separately for each certification area.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Early Childhood Education:
Central Methodist College
Central Methodist College - East Central College
Central Methodist College - Mineral Area College
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Culver Stockton College
Evangel University
Fontbonne College
Hannibal LaGrange College
Harris-Stowe State College
Lindenwood University
Maryville University-St. Louis
MO Baptist College
MO Southern State College
MO Valley College
MO Western State College
Northwest MO State College
Park University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest MO State University
Stephens College
University of MO-Columbia
University of MO-Kansas City
University of MO-St. Louis
Webster College
William Jewell College
William Woods University
The response rate for institutions offering Early Childhood Education was 61% (19 of 31). Although the certification requirements for Early Childhood do not require courses in Economics or Personal Finance, data was obtained to see how often students in an area not connected to Economic and Personal Finance Education selected a course in Economics or Personal Finance to fulfill General Education Requirements.
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions report that approximately 62% of students seeking Early Childhood Certification select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirements. Although the motivation for selecting a course in Economics or Personal Finance to fulfill General Education Requirements in Social Sciences is not clear, it is possible that in some cases their institution may require a course in Economics or Personal Finance as a general or “core” requirement of all students.
Teacher education institutions that offer Early Childhood Education report that students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select a variety of courses.
· 57% (11 of 19) of institutions report students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics”(e.g., “Economics in Society”).
· 11% (2 of 19) of institutions report students commonly select a course that while emphasizing Economics is offered through the Education Department or School (e.g., “Economics for Educators”).
· 21% (4 of 19) of institutions report students commonly select a course that is entitled either entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
· 11% (2 of 19) of institutions responding to this portion of the survey did not identify particular courses students select to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
The following teacher education
institutions recommend teachers for certification in
Elementary Education:
Avila College
Central Methodist College
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Columbia College
Culver Stockton College
Drury College
Evangel University
Fontbonne University
Hannibal LaGrange College
Harris-Stowe State College
Lincoln University
Lindenwood University
Maryville University-St. Louis
MO Baptist College
MO Southern State College
MO Valley College
MO Western State College
Northwest MO State University
Park University
Rockhurst University
Saint Louis University
Southeast MO State University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest MO State University
Stephens College
Truman State University
University of MO-Columbia
University of MO-Kansas City
University of MO-Rolla
University of MO-St. Louis
Washington University
Webster University
Westminster College
William Woods University
William Jewell College
The response rate for institutions offering Elementary Education was 80% (29 of 36).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions report that approximately 86% of students seeking Elementary certification select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
In addition to the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences, data was obtained to investigate how students seeking Elementary certification fulfill two other requirements that connect to Economics and Personal Finance Education:
“Within, or in addition to, the General Education Requirements above, the following courses appropriate for Elementary grades must be included: . . . Economics.”
“As a minimum, the teaching method competencies shall include . . . Social Science to include Geography and Economics?”
The following three tables identify the courses that are required or students select to fulfill General Education Requirements, the Economics Requirement, and the Teaching Method Competency for Economics Requirement.
Institutions that offer Elementary certification report Elementary Education students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select a variety of courses.
· 51% (15 of 29) of institutions report students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
· 17% (5 of 29) of institutions report students commonly select a course that while emphasizing Economics is offered through the Education Department or School (e.g., “Economics for Educators”).
· 27% (8 of 29) of institutions report students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
· 03% (1 of 29) of institutions responding to this portion of the survey did not identify particular courses students select to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Teacher education institutions report that students seeking Elementary certification fulfill the DESE requirement of a course in “Economics” in a variety of ways.
· 44% (13 of 29) of institutions require a course that is offered by an Education Department or School (e.g., “Methods of Teaching Elementary Social Studies”).
· 51% (15 of 29) of institutions require a course that is offered by an Economics Department or School (e.g., “Microeconomics”).
· Of the 51% of institutions who require a course offered by an Economics Department or School 53% (8 of 15) require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economics in Society”) while 46% (7 of 15) require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” to fulfill this requirement.
Teacher education institutions report that students seeking Elementary certification fulfill their Teaching Method Competency requirement in Economics primarily through courses offered by Education Departments and Schools.
· 93% (27 of 29) of institutions require a course offered by an Education Department or School to fulfill the teaching methods competency requirement.
· Of the 93% of institutions requiring a course in Education, 19% (5 of 27) require a general teaching course (e.g., “Teaching Skills”) while 81% (22 of 27) require a course that focuses in Social Studies and/or Economics.
· 06% (2 of 29) of institutions require a course offered by an Economics Department or School.
· 03% (1 of 29) of institutions responding to this portion of the survey did not identify a particular course for this section.
It is interesting to note that 50% (14 of 28) of institutions offering Elementary certification report that students commonly select a course in Economics to fulfill both the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences as well as the requirement of an additional course in Economics while 50% (14 of 28) of institutions indicated that students selected a course in Education to fulfill both the Teaching Methods Competency Requirement as well as the requirement of an additional course in Economics.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Middle School Agricultural Education:
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Northwest MO State University
Southwest MO State University
University of MO-Columbia
The response rate for institutions offering Middle School Agricultural Education was 20% (1 of 5).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions report that 0% of students seeking Middle School Agricultural Education certification select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Data was also solicited to investigate the extent to which institutions required, and/or students commonly selected, courses in Economics and Personal Finance to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Middle School Agricultural Education:
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Agricultural Education.”
One course offered by an Agriculture Department or School, “Agricultural Economics,” was identified as a required course by the lone institution responding to this portion of the survey.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Middle School Business Education:
Avila College
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Columbia College
Lincoln University
Lindenwood University
MO Baptist College
Northwest MO State University
Southwest MO State University
University of MO-Columbia
The response rate for institutions offering Middle School Business Education was 60% (6 of 10).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions report that 100% of students seeking Middle School Business Education certification select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Teacher education institutions that offer Middle School Business Certification report that students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select a variety of courses.
· 67% (4 of 6) of institutions report that students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “American Economics”).
· 33% (2 of 6) of institutions report that students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
Data was also solicited to investigate the extent to which institutions required, and/or students commonly selected, courses in Economics and Personal Finance to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Middle School Business Education:
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Agricultural Education.”
Eighty-three percent (5 of 6) institutions responding to the survey report requiring at least one specific course to fulfill Content Area Requirements:
Teacher education institutions offering Middle School Business certification report that students seeking Middle School Business Education certification fulfill the DESE Content Area Requirements in a variety of ways.
· 83% (5 of 6) of institutions require a course in “Economics.”
· Of the 83% of institutions requiring a course in “Economics,” 60% (3 of 5) require a survey or introductory course that is entitled either “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” while 40% (2 of 5) require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not titled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “General Economics”).
· 83% (5 of 6) of institutions require a course that emphasizes computer-related topics (e.g., “Internet Web Design”).
· 17% (1 of 6) of institutions require a course in “Personal Finance.”
· 33% (2 of 6) of institutions require a course in “Business Law.”
· 33% (2 of 6) of institutions require a course in “Marketing.”
· 33% (2 of 6) of institutions require a course in “Business Communication.”
· 50% (3 of 6) of institutions require a course in “Business Management.”
It is also interesting to note that 50% of teacher education institutions responding to this portion of the survey required courses to fulfill all 21 hours of Content Area Requirements in Business Education.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education:
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Northwest MO State University
Southwest MO State University
University of MO-Columbia
The response rate for institutions offering Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education was 60% (3 of 5).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions report that approximately 50% of students seeking certification in Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Middle School Family and Consumer Science report that students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select a variety of courses.
· 33% (1 of 3) of institutions report that students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “MicroEconomics” or “MacroEconomics” (e.g., “Introduction to Economics”)
· 33% (1 of 3) of institutions report that students commonly select a course in Personal Finance (e.g., “Consumer Economics and Personal Finance Education”).
· 33% (1 of 3) of institutions responding to this portion of the survey did not identify a course students select to fulfill General Education Requirements in Social Sciences.
Data was also solicited to investigate the extent to which institutions required, and/or students commonly selected, courses in Economics and Personal Finance to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education:
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Family and Consumer Sciences Education.”
Sixty-six percent (2 of 3) institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education report requiring at least one specific course to fulfill Content Area Requirements:
· 100% (2 of 2) of institutions require courses that emphasize Personal Finance Education (e.g., “Consumer Economics and Personal Finance Education”).
· Of the 100% (2 of 2) of institutions that require courses that emphasize Personal Finance Education 50% (1 of 2) are offered through an Economics Department or School while the other 50% (1 of 2) are offered through a Family and Consumer Sciences Department or School.
One institution (33% of those responding to this portion of the survey) that did not require a specific course to fulfill the Content Area Requirements in Family and Consumer Sciences reported that the most common course students selected to fulfill Content Area Requirements was “Consumer and Family Science.”
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Middle School Social Science Education:
Avila College
Central MO State University
Central Methodist College
College of the Ozarks
Columbia College
Culver-Stockton College
Drury College
Evangel University
Fontbonne University
Hannibal LaGrange College
Harris-Stowe State College
Lincoln University
Lindenwood University
Maryville University-St. Louis
MO Baptist College
MO Southern State College
MO Valley College
MO Western State College
Northwest MO State University
Park University
Saint Louis University
Southeast MO State University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest MO State University
Truman State University
University of MO-Columbia
University of MO-Kansas City
University of MO-Rolla
University of MO-St. Louis
Washington University
Webster University
Westminster College
William Jewell College
William Woods University
The response rate for institutions offering Middle School Social Science Education was 73% (25 of 34).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions report that approximately 88% of students seeking Middle School Social Science Education certification select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Middle School Social Science report that students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select a variety of courses.
· 48% (12 of 25) of institutions report students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economics in Society”).
· 08% (2 of 25) of institutions report students commonly select a course that while emphasizing Economics is offered through the Education Department or School (e.g., “Economics for Educators”).
· 32% (8 of 25) of institutions report students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
· 12% (3 of 25) of institutions responding to this portion of the survey did not identify particular courses students commonly select to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Data was also solicited to investigate the extent to which institutions required, and/or students commonly selected, courses in Economics and Personal Finance to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Middle School Social Sciences Education:
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . Social Science Education.”
Sixty-four percent (16 of 25) institutions offering Middle School Social Science report requiring at least one specific course in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education to fulfill Content Area Requirements:
· 64% (16 of 25) of institutions require a course in “Economics.”
· Of the 64% of institutions requiring a course in “Economics,” 37% (6 of 16) require either “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” while 63% (10 of 16) require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Introduction to Economics”).
· 06% (2 of 25) of institutions require a course that while emphasizing Economic concepts and principles is offered by an Education Department or School (e.g., “Economics for Educators”).
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Secondary Agricultural Education:
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Northwest MO State University
Southwest MO State University
University of MO-Columbia
The response rate for institutions offering Secondary Agriculture Education was 40% (2of 5).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions offering Secondary Agriculture Education report that approximately 50% of students select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Teacher education institutions recommending students for teacher certification in Secondary Agriculture Education report that students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select a course in “Agriculture Economics” to fulfill the requirement.
Data were also solicited to investigate what courses, if any, were required or often selected by students to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Secondary Agricultural Education that emphasize concepts and/or skills in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education:
Agricultural Business (3 hours)
Agricultural Economics (3 hours)
Elective Agricultural Education (0-12 hours)
Teacher education institutions report that students seeking Secondary Agriculture Education certification fulfill the DESE Content Area Requirements in Agricultural Economics and Agriculture Business in similar ways.
· 100% (2 of 2) of institutions require courses in Agricultural Economics that are offered by an Agricultural Department or School.
· 100% (2 of 2) of institutions require courses in Agricultural Business that are offered by an Agricultural Department or School.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Secondary Business Education:
Avila College
Central Methodist College
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Columbia College
Evangel University
Hannibal LaGrange College
Lincoln University
Lindenwood University
MO Baptist College
MO Southern State College
Northwest MO State University
Rockhurst University
Southeast MO State University
Southwest MO State University
University of MO-Columbia
The response rate for institutions offering Secondary Business Education was 87% (14 of 16).
Data were also solicited to investigate what courses, if any, were required or often selected by students to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Secondary Business Education that emphasize concepts and/or skills in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education:
Economics (2 hours)
Accounting (3 hours)
Business/Consumer Related Law (2 hours)
Business Communications (2 hours)
Management (2 hours)
Marketing (2 hours)
Electives in Business Education (0-6 hours)
Ninety-two percent of institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require specific courses to fulfill at least some of the requirements above.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require a variety of course to fulfill the two-hour “Economics” requirement.
· 50% (6 of 12) of institutions require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economics Problems and Possibilities”).
· 50% (6 of 12) of institutions require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require similar courses to fulfill the three-hour “Accounting” requirement. All of the required courses listed below appear to be introductory Accounting courses.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require similar courses to fulfill the three-hour “Business/Consumer Related Law” requirement. All of the courses identified below appear to be introductory courses in Business Law that are offered through a Business, Finance, or Management Department or School.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require a variety of course to fulfill the three-hour “Business Communication” requirement.
· 78% (7 of 9) of institutions require specific courses in Business Communication that are offered in a School of Business or Management.
· 22% (2 of 9) of institutions require specific courses in Business Communication that are offered in an English Department or School.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require a variety of course to fulfill the three-hour “Business Management” requirement.
· 92% (12 of 13) of institutions require specific introductory courses in Business Management that are offered in a School of Business or Management.
· 08% (1 of 13) of institutions require specific courses in Finance to fulfill the requirement in Business Management that are offered in a Finance Department or School.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require similar courses to fulfill the three-hour “Marketing” requirement. All of the courses identified below appear to be introductory courses in Marketing that offered through a Business or Marketing Department or School.
Twenty-eight percent (4 of 14) of institutions that offer Secondary Business Education certification and responded to this survey identified the following courses in Economics or Personal Finance as ones commonly selected by their students to fulfill the 0-6 hours of “Elective Business Education” requirements.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Secondary Social Studies Education:
Avila College
Central Methodist College
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Columbia College
Culver-Stockton College
Drury College
Evangel University
Fontbonne University
Hannibal LaGrange College
Harris-Stowe State College
Lincoln University
Lindenwood University
Maryville University-St. Louis
MO Baptist College
MO Southern State College
MO Valley College
MO Western State College
Northwest MO State University
Park University
Rockhurst University
Saint Louis University
Southeast MO State University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest MO State University
Truman State University
University of MO-Columbia
University of MO-Kansas City
University of MO-Rolla
University of MO-St. Louis
Washington University
Webster University
Westminster College
William Jewell College
William Woods University
The response rate for institutions offering Secondary Social Studies Education was 77% (24 of 35).
Data were also solicited to investigate what courses, if any, were required or often selected by students to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Secondary Social Studies Education that emphasize concepts and/or skills in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education:
Economics (3 hours)
Elective Social Studies (2 hours)
Eighty-one percent of institutions that offer Secondary Social Studies certification and responded to this survey require specific courses to fulfill at least some of the requirements above.
Teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Social Studies report that students fulfill the DESE requirement of three hours in “Economics” in a variety of ways.
· 59% (13 of 22) of institutions require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economics Problems and Possibilities”) to fulfill the three-hour requirement in “Economics.”
· 41% (9 of 22) of institutions require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
Nineteen percent of the institutions that recommend students for Secondary Social Studies certification report that students are able to select a course to fulfill the three-hour “Economics” requirement. These institutions report that students selected a variety of courses to fulfill the “Economics” requirement.
· 67% (2 of 3) select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economics Problems and Possibilities”) to fulfill the requirement.
· 33% (1 of 3) select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
The institutions offering Secondary Social Studies certification report that approximately 08% of students select a course in “Economics” or “Personal Finance” to fulfill two-hours of “Elective Social Studies” required by DESE. Students select a variety of courses to fulfill the requirement of two-hours of “Elective Social Studies.” Commonly selected courses are listed in the Table below.
The following teacher education institutions recommend teachers for certification in Secondary Social Studies Education:
Central MO State University
College of the Ozarks
Fontbonne University
Northwest MO State University
Southeast MO State University
Southwest MO State University
The response rate for institutions offering Secondary Vocational Family and Consumer Sciences Education was 67% (4 of 6).
As indicated in the Table above, teacher education institutions recommending students for teacher certification in Secondary Family and Consumer Sciences report that approximately 50% of students select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
Teacher education institutions recommending students for teacher certification in Secondary Family and Consumer Sciences Education report that students who opt for a course in Economics or Personal Finance Education to fulfill the General Education Requirement in Social Sciences select very similar courses to fulfill the requirement.
· 100% (3 of 3) of institutions report that students commonly select a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economic Problems and Possibilities”).
Data were also solicited to investigate what courses, if any, were required or often selected by students to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Secondary Family and Consumer Sciences Education that emphasize concepts and/or skills in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education:
Consumer and Home Management (5 hours)
One hundred percent of institutions that recommend students for certification in Secondary Family and Consumer Sciences Education require specific courses to fulfill the above content area requirement.
Institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Family and Consumer Science report that students fulfill this requirement in a variety of ways.
· 75% (3 of 4) of institutions require one five-hour class offered the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.
· 25% (1 of 4) of institutions require two classes offered in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.
3. What ideas and suggestions do teacher educators in Missouri have to improve the preparation of pre-service teachers in Economic and Personal Finance Education?
Eight faculty members representing a cross-section of Missouri’s four-year institutions that recommend students for teacher certification participated in a focus group meeting on Tuesday, January 14th from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.[5] Participating faculty members were selected by the “Teacher Education Contact Person” at each institution as the person “most closely related to preparing pre-service teachers in Economics and Personal Finance Education.”
Representatives from the following institutions participated by telephone conference call in the focus group meeting:
Avila College
Northwest Missouri State University
University of Missouri—Rolla
Rockhurst University
University of Missouri—Kansas City
Westminster College
Prior to the meeting participants were informed of the purposes of the focus group meeting and the discussion questions that would frame the meeting. The objectives of the focus group meeting were to:
1. inform key faculty members at Missouri's teacher education institutions of state initiatives and legislation to improve Economics and Personal Finance Education;
2. begin a dialogue about the improvement of Economics and Personal Finance Education in Missouri; and
3. gain insights and perspectives from key faculty members on the improvement of preparation for K-12 teachers in Economics and Personal Finance Education.
Although participants were told that they could comment on any aspect of the study or on any aspect of Economics and Personal Finance Education in Missouri, the following discussion questions guided the conversation:
1. How could the preparation of teachers in Economics and Personal Finance Education be improved at your institution?
2. What “institutional obstacles” exist at your institution that may hinder the improvement of teacher preparation in Economics and Personal Finance Education?
3. How might the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education assist your institution (e.g., financially, administratively) in improving the preparation of teachers in Economics and Personal Finance Education?
The following summarizes the main points discussed during the meeting for each question.
1. How could the preparation of teachers in Economics and Personal Finance Education be improved at your institution?
· For students seeking elementary certification, some faculty members believed that the course fulfilling the DESE requirement in “Economics” needs to contain BOTH core concepts in Economics and Personal Finance AND teaching methodologies. Faculty seemed concerned that the course fulfilling this requirement was either primarily an Economics class with little attention to teaching methodology, or primarily an Education class with little attention to Economic and Personal Finance concepts and skills.
· Some faculty members were concerned that students seeking certification in Secondary Social Studies were not getting enough “content” in Economics.
· Many faculty members expressed a concern that the instructors of classes in Economics or Personal Finance may not be familiar with K-12 standards. One faculty member suggested that instructors at all institutions should be made aware of core concepts and skills that define Economics and Personal Finance Education.
2. What “institutional obstacles” exist at your institution that may hinder the improvement of teacher preparation in Economics and Personal Finance Education?
· The frequency of offering courses in Economics and Personal Finance was noted as an obstacle (not being able to offer these courses often enough).
· A greater connection between coursework in Economics and Personal Finance Education and field experiences was a concern of some faculty.
· One faculty member suggested that having the freedom to partner with an outside organization (e.g., Junior Achievement) really helped her students develop an understanding of important concepts and skills and explore potential teaching methods.
· Several faculty noted that attempts to improve Economics and Personal Finance Education at their institution would almost certainly result in “turf wars” between Education faculty and those responsible for teaching Economics or Personal Finance courses. At least a few faculty members, however, believed that “turf wars” would not be a problem at their institutions and believed that Education faculty and faculty from other departments involved in Economics and Personal Finance had a strong relationship.
· The vast majority of faculty members participating said that any attempt of adding additional requirements in Economics and Personal Finance Education would be met with much resistance. Many faculty members said that the prevailing attitude at their institutions was that there were already too many course requirements. Many of the participating institutions were attempting to reduce the amount of required coursework. Opposition for adding additional requirements would come from virtually all segments of the university community—students, faculty, and administration.
3. How might the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education assist your institution (e.g., financially, administratively) in improving the preparation of teachers in Economics and Personal Finance Education?
Many faculty members felt that DESE could help to improve Economics and Personal Finance Education at their institution by creating and disseminating a set of “guidelines” for university instructors of courses in Economics and Personal Finance. The “guidelines” could highlight the core concepts and skills in Economics and Personal Finance Education that K-12 teachers need to effectively address the standards. With reference to the creation and dissemination of “guidelines,” at least one faculty member expressed a concern about “academic freedom.”
Recommendation #1: Clarify and strengthen the requirement for an additional course in Economics for Elementary certification.
Although teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Elementary Education estimate that 86% of students select a course in Economics or Personal Finance to fulfill General Education Requirements, 50% (14 of 28) of institutions indicated that students selected a course in Education to fulfill both the Teaching Methods Competency Requirement as well as the requirement of an additional course in Economics.
“Within, or in addition to, the General Education Requirements above, the following courses appropriate for Elementary grades must be included: . . . Economics.”
“Within, or in addition to, the General Education Requirements above, the following courses must be included: . . . Economics.”
Recommendation #2: Require at least one course in Economics and/or Personal Finance appropriate to the subject area of certification for students seeking certification in Middle School Agricultural Education, Middle School Business Education, Middle School Social Studies Education, and Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education.
Currently, students are required to take 21 hours in the content area of certification without reference to specific courses:
“Subject area certification in grades 5-9 will be granted upon the basis of a minimum of twenty-one (21) semester hours with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in. . . [certification area].”
The data obtained from the Missouri Teacher Education Survey on Economic and Personal Finance Education reveal that not all institutions require students to take at least one course in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education to fulfill Content Area Requirements in Middle School Agricultural Education, Social Studies Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences Education:
· Institutions offering Middle School Agricultural Education report that 0% of students seeking Middle School Agricultural Education certification select a course in Economics and/or Personal Finance to fulfill DESE’s General Education Requirement in Social Sciences.
· Eighty-three percent (5 of 6) institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Middle School Business Education require at least one specific course in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education to fulfill Content Area Requirements.
· Sixty-six percent (2 of 3) institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences Education report requiring at least one specific course in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education to fulfill Content Area Requirements.
· Sixty-four percent (16 of 25) institutions offering Middle School Social Science certification report requiring at least one specific course in Economics and/or Personal Finance Education to fulfill Content Area Requirements.
The specific requirements for each subject area should be determined by representatives of each subject area but should include at least one course in Economics and/or Personal Finance.
Recommendation #3: Conduct an additional study of the core concepts and skills in Economics and Personal Finance that are emphasized in courses students are using to fulfill DESE General Education Requirements or Content Area Requirements.
Attempting to identify the core concepts and skills in Economics and Personal Finance Education that are being taught in particular kinds of courses was beyond the scope of the present study. However, the present study did reveal that institutions require, and students select, a variety of courses to fulfill requirements that are related to Economics and Personal Finance Education. For example, teacher education institutions that recommend students for teacher certification in Secondary Business Education require a variety of course to fulfill the two-hour “Economics” requirement.
· 50% (6 of 12) institutions require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is not entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics” (e.g., “Economics Problems and Possibilities”).
· 50% (6 of 12) institutions require a survey or introductory course in Economics that is entitled “Microeconomics” or “Macroeconomics.”
What are the differences between these courses and which courses focus most directly on the on the core concepts and skills needed to effectively teach Secondary Business Education? Additional study and evaluation could reveal these differences.
Recommendation #4: DESE should create and disseminate a list of core concepts and skills in Economics and Personal Finance with reference to specific certification areas such as Elementary Education, Middle and Secondary Agricultural Education, Business Education, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, and Social Science Education.
Many faculty members participating in the focus group meeting were concerned that university instructors responsible for teaching required or commonly selected courses in Economics and Personal Finance Education were not aware of the most important concepts and principles for purposes of teaching in various subject areas. Teacher education faculty, including those teaching in Education, Economics, or other closely related areas, could develop the core concepts and skills for each certification area.
Recommendation #5: DESE should provide professional development to university faculty to help them understand the increased expectations in Economics and Personal Finance of students and teachers.
Assuming that the present study will result in even a modest increase in expectations for Economics and Personal Finance Education, it is important that key personnel at every institution be accurately and adequately informed of the changes. All teacher education faculty connected to the identified certification areas, including those teaching in Education, Economics, or other closely related areas, should be invited to participate.
[1] The instrument was slightly modified based upon these suggestions. To obtain information about where courses were located in a particular university or college, “department” was added to the instrument. To enable and assist with the completion and return of the survey electronically, and “letter field” was added.
[2] Approved two-year institutions were not included in the present study for two reasons. First, these institutions do not recommend teachers for certification; they offer courses that may be used toward teacher certification. Second, none of the approved courses at two-year institutions appear to emphasize Economic or Personal Finance concepts, skills, or dispositions with the possible exception of the four institutions that offer “K-12 Learning in Social Studies.”
[3] Data was obtained for one certification area that does NOT require or encourage pre-service teachers to take one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, or dispositions—Early Childhood Certification (B-3). This data was used to investigate the approximate number of students who take at least one course in Economics or Personal Finance Education who are seeking certification in an area that does NOT require or encourage pre-service teachers to take one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, or dispositions.
[4] Although all students seeking middle school certification must complete “twenty-one semester hours [in the content area they are certifying] with appropriate distribution as determined by the teacher preparation institution and/or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” specific courses or distributions are not detailed in the requirements. Therefore, I selected to gather data about certification areas at the middle school level that DID require or encourage one or more courses that emphasize Economic and Personal Finance concepts, skills, or dispositions at the secondary level.
[5] Representatives from every institution that did not participate in the initial focus group meeting were notified of a second focus group meeting that was scheduled for Friday, January 24th. However, since no faculty member indicated that they would be interested and/or available in meeting at that time, the January 24th meeting was canceled.