| Abstract: | For many years, surveys have shown that lecture is the dominant method for teaching principles of economics (Watts and Schaur 2011; Watts and Becker 2008; Becker and Watts 1996, 2001a, b). The authors confirm this and augment it by asking why principles instructors teach the way they do. The respondents, 340 principles instructors at the 2012 Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) conference, group into thirds: one-third saying that students learn best from lecture; another third reporting that students do not learn best from lecture, but it is cost-effective; and the rest answering that students do not learn best from lecture, so alternatives are preferred. Lecture advocates often cite the inputs and costs of teaching while advocates of alternatives often cite student outcomes. |
