Visualising complexity and changeability - critical aspects of teaching visual models in economics

• The aim of this presentation is to discuss how models used in social studies teaching can help students grasp the complexity and changeability in economic issues and systems in the context of social science education (SSE). Models are often used in SSE teaching to help students grasp complexity and changeability. However, students often find models difficult to understand and there is a risk that seemingly fixed models do not offer an understanding of the changeability in societal issues. The project investigates students’ conceptions of two different models that are commonly used in SSE (one flowchart and one plot diagram) and what aspects that need to be discerned in order for students to reason in a qualified way about the content illustrated. Results from a phenomenographic analysis of 21 group discussions (with students from both compulsory and upper secondary school) show that the critical aspects identified in part can be understood as model and content specific, but in part as model generic. By comparing the critical aspects for the two different models, it is evident that in order to read both models, aspects pertaining to structure, casual expansion, and human agency are important.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Lärande (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Learning (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Citizenship Education

Comprehension of Text and Graphics

Social Sciences and Humanities

Teaching/Instructional Strategies

ämnesdidaktik med inriktning mot de samhällsvetenskapliga ämnenas didaktik

Teaching and Learning with Specialisation in the Social Sciences Education

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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