Subject-specific teaching research
The central goal of IÖB is to contribute to the improvement of Economic Education in schools, universities and among the wider population. Understanding research is something that is first and foremost in specialist subject didactics. Specialist subject didactics is defined as the academic field of specialist subject teaching and learning both at and outside of school. Among the questions considered in this field are the criteria in selecting and legitimising teaching content, the lesson aims and objectives, the methodological structuring of learning processes, pre-existing knowledge, expectations or successful learning formats. Addressing these questions, IÖB carries out innovative educational projects, both independently and also in collaboration with national and international research associations.
Creating concepts
Informed by the latest research into the economy, pedagogy and economic didactics, IÖB creates concepts with a sound academic basis. These concepts include the presentation of aims, content and methods, ones that appear relevant to certain target groups. On this basis, it is possible to develop ideal learning process structures. These concepts are also developed for certain areas of Economic Education, such as Entrepreneurship Education, Career Guidance or Financial Literary. These concepts also offer a theoretical basis for empirical studies, for expertise in educational policy, for subject-specific assessment and for creating teaching materials for lessons.
Developing materials for lessons in Economics
The research findings are used as much as possible to develop innovative support, materials and media for topical lessons in Economics. Considerable thought is given at the outset of the project on how to apply the findings and transfer them into practical formats that can be applied in teaching and learning. The provisions includes a wide spectrum of materials, media, competitions, teaching and workbooks, teaching units and learning portals. The guiding teaching principles in this didactic approach are ideas such as problem-orientation, action orientation, practice orientation and student orientation as well as orientation towards current contemporary specialist knowledge. Selected schools carry out trials on the products that have been created. These products created are trialled in selected schools.
