Economics literacy and attitude of Georgia high school business education and social studies teachers

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of teacher preparation and economics literacy and attitudes toward economics of Georgia's high school teachers of economics. The sample included 151 social studies and 150 business education teachers. Three instruments were used including the Test of Economic Literacy, the Survey of Economic Attitudes, and questions related to the demographic characteristics of participants. The validity and reliability of the survey instrument were verified through the literature.;The influence of each of the independent variables, number of college economics courses completed, number of economics sections taught in the last three years, and teacher area, on the dependent variables, the twelve components of economics literacy and attitude, was determined. There was no difference in economics literacy between social studies and business education teachers who completed two or less courses in economics. However, completing three or more courses in economics adds significantly to teachers' economics literacy. Social studies teachers were more confident than business education teachers that they could teach the four clusters of economics. Social studies and business education teachers completing three or more courses in economics have a significantly better economics attitude than social studies and business education teachers completing one or less course. Social studies teachers enjoy economics more than business education teachers. Also, social studies teachers think economics has greater usefulness, and think economics is not as difficult a subject as business education teachers think it is. The study also revealed that the number of economics sections a teacher has taught in the last three years had a significant positive relationship on economics literacy. Also, teachers who scored high on economics attitude also scored high with economics literacy.