Teaching economics through proverbs: a transformative learning approach

An Economics Network funded project, 2010-11

Institution: London Metropolitan University
Project leader Gherardo Girardi

The objective of the project is to explore the use of proverbs in
economics education. These are proverbs from around the world which
relate to economics, such as proverbs about wealth, work, or nature.
Proverbs are “small pieces of wisdom that have been handed down from
generation to generation and that continue to be applicable in our
modern technological age” (Mieder, 1986). They constitute concise
expressions of thought-provoking material as advocated by transformative
learning theory and Roger's humanistic approach. Furthermore, studying
proverbs from around the world helps to promote cultural inclusivity.

Outputs:

• Project final report (.doc)
• Case Study: Teaching economics using proverbs from around the world
• Student questionnaire (.docx)
• Proverbs database (.xls)
• Conference presentation at DEE2011 (.pptx)