Empowering Economic Development: Integrating Economic-related Issues into Secondary School Curricula
Amir Toghyani
1
(
Department of Educational Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran
)
Jahanbakhsh Rahmani
2
(
Department of Educational Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran
)
Narges keshtiaray
3
(
Department of Educational Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran
)
Keywords: Economic Development, Curriculum, Secondary School, education, G7 Countries,
Abstract :
In today’s rapidly evolving global economy, it is essential to equip young learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the workforce and contribute to economic development. Education is the vital driver of human capital and development in countries, and the success of any educational system depends heavily on its curriculum. This paper aims to study the pivotal role of the curriculum in shaping education and its contribution to economic development. In particular, this paper studies four components (objectives, content, teaching-learning methods, and evaluation) of secondary schools’ curricula in G7 countries (Italy, France, Japan, US, Canada, Germany, UK) and Iran to present a set of proposed concepts for the Iranian curriculum with a focus on economic features. George Brady's comparative strategy (description, interpretation, juxtaposition, comparison) was used in this qualitative research. The proposed concepts are arranged in three layers: the first includes improvement of A) scientific skills (mathematics and basic sciences), B) technical skills (general profession and technological literacy), and C) process skills (systemic thinking and problem-solving). The study of world history and geography as well as other countries’ languages and cultures is the second part. The third includes altruism for others, the environment, and the future. This study serves as an introduction to the skills and abilities needed by Iranian students to compete in the real world. The proposed curriculum model offers a clear summary of some of the essential competencies for tomorrow’s society and workplace.