25, April 2026

Pedagogical Paradigms in Economic Education: Bridging Theory, Practice, and Digital Innovation for the 21st Century Learner

VOLUME-10; ISSUE-4; APR-2026

Author(s): Soumya Ranjan Nayak, Prabodha Pradhan

Authors Affiliations:

Asst. Professor, Govt. B.Ed. Training College Kalinga, Kandhamal, India

Assistant Teacher TGT Art, School and Mass Education, Odisha, India

DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202604012     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202604012


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Economic literacy is not only acquisition of financial terminology but also it constitutes a fundamental civic competency for navigating the complexities of a globalized, digitized, and increasingly stratified world. This research report provides a detailed investigation into the pedagogical strategies employed to teach economics to school children. It traces evolution from behaviourist traditions to contemporary constructivist paradigms. This paper draws upon the foundational theories of Lev Vygotsky and John Dewey. It also synthesizes extensive empirical research by scholars such as William Walstad, Michael Watts, and Bonnie Meszaros. This paper evaluates the efficacy of diverse methodologies including the Flipped Classroom, Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), Problem-Based Learning (PBL), and the Case Study method. The modern days teaching practices like the integration of educational technology specifically stock market simulators and gamification are also critically discussed. The urgent imperative for Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) to address systemic inequalities in economic curriculum is also discussed in this paper. Through a rigorous review of meta-analyses, longitudinal studies, and classroom experiments, this report argues that effective economic education requires a shift from passive "chalk and talk" instruction to active, socially contextualized knowledge construction. The findings suggest that traditional direct instruction remains dominant in schools. Student-centered approaches in other hand significantly enhance engagement, retention, and the ability to apply economic reasoning to real-world decision-making.

: Economic Literacy, Constructivism, Inquiry-Based Learning, Educational Technology, Culturally Responsive Teaching

Soumya Ranjan Nayak, Prabodha Pradhan (2026); Pedagogical Paradigms in Economic Education: Bridging Theory, Practice, and Digital Innovation for the 21st Century Learner, International Journal of Research Culture Society,    ISSN(O): 2456-6683,  Volume – 10,   Issue –  4,  Available on – https://ijrcs.org/

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