Promotion of ethical-reflective competences in economic education – a Design-Based Research project

Abstract

This article depicts the research and development process and findings of a Design-Based Research project in economic education. The project was based on the following, still general objective: Future economic citizens should gain competence to reflect on the ethical foundations of economic facts and to draw conclusions for their own actions (ethical-reflective competence). This objective resulted in the following key research questions: Which concrete learning objectives characterize economic education that integrates ethical-reflective competences in upper secondary schools in Switzerland? How can these learning objectives be promoted within the context of concrete didactic interventions? Chapter 2 specifies the objectives and puts the target construct of „ethical-reflective competence“ into concrete terms. The didactic intervention was developed in the economic subject area of „urban economics“ which is introduced in chapter 3. Chapter 4 outlines the research design based on a model structuring the main phases of a Design-Based Research process. Chapter 5 sketches the context and key findings of the testing and evaluation cycles of the didactic intervention. Chapter 6 provides some concluding considerations.