Research analysis and evidence in
Economics and Business Education
Conceptions of saving: an investigate of first year
business undergraduates’ thinking
This summary presents some extracts from:
Davies, P. Ludholm, C. & Mangan, J. (2010). The application of variation theory in
undergraduate teaching: addressing some difficulties in the context of students’
understanding of saving. Paper presented at the EARLI Special Interest Group 9
Conference, Kristianstad, Sweden,
An exploratory study conducted by Peter Davies, Cecilia Lundholm and Jean Mangan
investigated first-year undergraduate’ conceptions of saving. One purpose of the study
was to provide some initial evidence of categorical differences in conceptions of an
economic phenomenon not previously addressed in the research: saving. A second
purpose of the study was to examine ways in which researchers’ perceptions of
differences in students’ conceptions was associated with the disciplinary background of
the researcher. Two sources of evidence were used: students’ answers to short open
questions in an end of year examination and interviews with a small group of students.
The interview questions were:
1. If you change the amount you save, what effect does it have on others?
2. If everyone in the country changes the amount they save so it was the same as your
saving, what effect would this have?
These questions were designed to investigate students’ thinking about saving in
personal and national contexts. Both questions tried to expose students’ thinking about
systematic implications of levels of saving.
Students who were interviewed were also given three possible explanations of what
someone might mean when they talk about ‘withdrawals from the economy’. Students
were asked to say which of the three explanations they thought was best and why. The
three alternatives are presented in Figure 1. Figure 2 presents the analysis of
examination scripts from an economics point of view.
1
Research analysis and evidence in
Economics and Business Education
Figure 1 When someone talks about ‘withdrawals’ when explaining what is
happening in the economy what do they mean?
1
‘ This is when income is withdrawn from the economy it can be by either savings
or taxation etc. For example the government may want to withdraw money from the
economy so they may put up taxes, this leaves consumers with less disposable incomes.’
2
‘If on the circular flow of income withdrawals outweigh injections then the
economy shrinks and aggregate demand falls. If we then look at the multiplier effect we
can see if this downward spiral continues as demand for GDP products would decrease,
causing job losses and unemployment to rise.’
3
‘Withdrawals include savings, taxation and exports. Taxes can be on income or
expenditure. If any of these three withdrawals are high the economy will suffer. For
example if too many people save and don’t spend any money there will be a recession
and prices will rise.’
2
Research analysis and evidence in
Economics and Business Education
Figure 2 Alternative conceptions of the effects of withdrawals (such as saving) on
the economy suggested by an analysis of the examination scripts as interpreted by
an economist
1
2
Withdrawal
s
Withdrawals
= saving,
taxation,
imports
5
Withdrawals
Injections
Aggregate
Demand
4
3
Withdrawals
-
Aggregate
Demand
Withdrawals
Aggregate
Demand
Time
Injections
Time
Aggregate
Demand
Time
3