Abstract:

The postulate for development of economic competences for children and the youth at all stages of education is related to, among others, the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18-12-2006 on key competences for lifelong learning.The issue of economic education is all the more important, because a very negative picture has emerged from the research on the level of adult Poles’ economic knowledge and competences. Improvement of this state of affairs is possible primarily owing to the economic education of children and the youth. Changes in the curricula in this area should be preceded by research on the current state of economic knowledge among schoolchildren.

The aim of the study was to verify the level of basic economic knowledge among the students of the highest primary-school grades. 3 research questions were formulated for the purpose of such verification:
RQ1:Do the students of the highest primary-school grades in Poland recognize basic economic concepts?
RQ2:Do the students understand the basic economic concepts correctly?
RQ3:Can the students apply their economic knowledge in practice?

Methodology:
The study implemented a survey research characterized by the following features:
-the study covered 12 classes of two primary schools: one in a small city and the other in a large city; in total, 208 questionnaires were filled out by primary-school students
-the survey consisted of 3 sections concerning: recognition of economic concepts, knowledge of economic concepts and application of economic knowledge.
The authors developed the questionnaire using the conclusions drawn based on the literature review of the subject matter.

Findings:
The results of the survey show that majority of the primary-school students recognize basic economic such categories as: market, money, price, inflation, demand, supply, etc., thus, a positive response to RQ1 was obtained. Answers to the questions posed in section II indicate that correct and incorrect understanding of economic concepts is evenly distributed among the population examined, and, in consequence, it is impossible to clearly assess the level of the students’ knowledge. The ability to apply economic knowledge in real life practice should be assessed similarly. As such, RQ2 and RQ3 remain without positive or negative verification. The general conclusion from the questionnaire analysis is the lack of significant differences in the recognition of economic concepts as well as in the understanding and application of economic knowledge in real life, on the part of the primary-school students school in a small and a big city.

Research limitations:
The main limitation of the study is the scope of the population examined. Since the survey was conducted in 2 schools from one Polish region, conclusions can only be applied to such a narrow local context. Extension of inference to a wider, supra-regional or supra-national area would require research of a correspondingly greater range.

Originality/value:
The study increases the state of knowledge about the students' skills, in terms of economic concepts and the ability to apply this knowledge in their lives. This knowledge is of key importance, with regard to construction of the structure and the content in the curricula implemented by Polish elementary schools. It can serve as an indication for both those who perform supervisory and regulatory functions over the primary education system as well as for the persons implementing the didactic process.

Keywords:

Primary education, economic knowledge.