Bridging the gap: curriculum development addressing the transition into mathematics in economics education

Abstract

This paper concerns the transition issue of economics students’ diverse mathematics school backgrounds. The study explores curriculum discontinuities between school and university mathematics-for-economics education in the secondary-tertiary transition phase. A two-step content analysis reveals six key mathematics areas that many of the first-year economics students previously had not had the opportunity to study, despite their relevance for the mathematics-for-economics course. This paper contributes to the limited educational research on mathematics in economics education and addresses how curriculum misalignments impact students transitioning into economics courses, by identifying critical gaps in mathematical learning opportunities essential for success in economics education.