Publication Date

1964

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Woolschlager, Ruth B.||Maxwell, Lyle

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Business Education

LCSH

Investments; Economics--Study and teaching; Greendale (Wis.)--Public schools

Abstract

Since the early part of the century, educators and businessmen have been concerned about economic understanding. Over the years, as the American economy expanded, the need for economic literacy became increasingly essential and is presently considered an urgent need. The object of this study is to help combat economic illiteracy by developing a learning-resource unit on stock investments, for twelfth grade students at Greendale High School, which will facilitate the learning of investment principles and economic concepts. Research, the writer's experiences in the initiation of a twelfth grade business economics course, and four years of experimenting with learning methods, approaches, techniques, and tests, constituted the background for the development of this stock investment unit. Related readings in the areas of teaching plans, investments, and economics revealed that resource units help to organize instruction, that the investments area needs greater emphasis, and that the study of economics is becoming an integral part of the curriculum in many schools. A brief history of Greendale and the socio-economic characteristics of its people established the need for an understanding of economics and stock investment principles. A stock Investment unit was incorporated into a newly formed Business Economics class to meet this need. The results of two tests, administered at the beginning and at the end of the unit, were used to determine whether this method was satisfactorily meeting the needs of the students and the community* An extensive stock investment unit outline was developed which included general and specific objectives, the subject matter outline, a variety of teaching suggestions, instructional materials, and an example of one way the material can be presented to accomplish desirable results. An analysis of the findings concerning the suitability of the unit concluded that this unit of study (1) appears to meet the investment needs of the students and the population of the community, (2) can be successfully integrated into a business economics course taught at the twelfth grade level, (3) facilitates the learning of investment principles and economic concepts more effectively than when these topics are presented piecemeal in several different courses, (4) enables students of varying abilities to develop an awareness of the opportunities available in the business field and seems to be an influential factor in motivating capable students to study business and economics in college, (5) attempts to consolidate previous learning, develop an attitude of critical thinking, and replace emotion with the ability to reason clearly and objectively concerning basic investment principles, and (6) can help students understand fundamental concepts which will enable them to be more effective citizens.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

v, 95, 4, 4 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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