Student Attitudes Towards the Market System: Predicting Student Achievement

Abstract

Our interest is the impact of students' attitudes toward the market system on their ability to learn economics. This research reports a regression analysis of Intermediate and Principles of Microeconomics students' attitudes as a predictor of learning measured by final course grade. The regression of individual survey questions found a number of statistically significant correlations. Separate regression results for a composite attitudinal score were statistically significant for Intermediate students but not for Principles students. Having found evidence of a relationship between pre~existing attitudes and grades, we offer some tentative implications for instruction. (A13)