Economics is one of those subjects that people either love to bits or find a bit bewildering sometimes both within the same term. At A Level, it mixes the rigor of Mathematics, the logical presentation skills required for essay writing and the subtlety required for policy analysis into a qualification that is consistently rated by the world's universities as one of the most academically challenging. For A Level Economics students living in Dubai Silicon Oasis and along the Academic City corridor, Amourion Training Institute's branch at Office 410, SIT Tower, DSO offers the one-on-one tuition that translates the interest in the subject to the exam results that the university requires. Dr. Anil Khare answers the most common questions asked by DSO Economics students & parents.
My child understands the theory of Economics but gets stuck on diagram questions. What is going wrong?
Dr. Anil Khare: Economic diagrams are not pictures - they are visual arguments, and the written explanation must be an equally specific argument. Students who know the material but draw diagrams without explicitly linking all parts of the diagram to the specific question being asked tend to lose marks for having a good understanding of the material. A well-drawn diagram with an unclear or unrelated written analysis is worth only partial marks. We coach students to integrate diagrams and written analysis in their response - drawing, labelling and annotating with rigor and then explaining the economic process shown in the diagram, using the words expected by the mark scheme. Once they learn to integrate their responses, diagram questions become one of their best sources of marks rather than their most feared.
My child finds Macroeconomics much more difficult than Microeconomics. Is this common and why?
Dr. Anil Khare: Very common - for a reason. Microeconomics largely works in well-defined models in which variables are constricted and outcomes are less uncertain. Macroeconomics brings an element of uncertainty to the table that terrifies students who are used to the certainty of microeconomic models: policy interactions, time lags, multiple objectives and the possibility that two highly qualified economists can draw different conclusions from the same situation. A Level Macroeconomics favors students who can embrace this uncertainty - who recognize that a tight monetary policy stance will reduce inflation but may also stunt growth and who can assess this trade-off with the particular contextual judgement the examiner is seeking. We nurture this macroeconomic confidence, teaching students how to manipulate different theoretical perspectives to the same policy problem and arrive at a well-supported conclusion rather than a black and white one.
How do you teach students to answer the data response questions on all Economics papers?
Dr Anil Khare: Data response questions are the easiest and most poorly performed question in A Level Economics. They are easy because all the information required to answer the question is given, and poorly done because most students read the data rather than analyze it. Noting that GDP growth was negative by 2% in a quarter is description. Explaining what this implies about the output gap, likely government policy and the conflict between the government's macroeconomic objectives is analysis. We encourage stu\dents to treat all data extracts as an analytical prompt - what does the data suggest, what does it reject and what does it confirm or challenge in economic theory? - rather than simply describe the data. This change in behavior usually leads to rapid mark improvements on data response questions.
The A Level Economics Grade That Opens the Right Doors
A Level Economics at its highest level is one of the most valuable qualifications for a student to earn and one of the most sought-after by an admissions department. For those in Dubai Silicon Oasis who are ready to take their skills to that level with expert coaching, then Amourion Training Institute, DSO center is where to start.
Contact Dr. Anil Khare
Phone: +971 55 956 4344 | +971 4355 4850
Email: anilkhare@anilkhare.com
Website: www.anilkhare.com <
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