Abstract
Education of social science, particularly economics, has a long-standing tradition in Iranian universities. Iranian academic curricula rely heavily on textbooks from reputable Western universities, resulting in the predominance of mainstream economics paradigms. Typically, international economic issues are interpreted through the lens of prevailing neoclassical theories, with alternative perspectives that integrate political, social, cultural, and historical contexts often dismissed as unscientific. There is a prevailing belief that addressing Iran’s specific economic challenges within the classes could be very costly. Consequently, economics professors tend to avoid discussing the country’s flawed fiscal and monetary policies or inefficient resource allocation. This paper seeks out the underlying causes behind a declining motivation among students to learn economics. To this end, a survey was conducted in 2014, involving 100 economics students, with a follow-up survey conducted in the spring of 2024 to assess changes in students’ attitudes over the past decade. The findings indicate that in addition to the inefficient education system and disconnection between economics education and Iran’s real economic problems, the labour market crisis and students’ difficulties in securing suitable employment after graduation significantly undermine their enthusiasm to study economics.
