Dilemmas of Education in the Field of Heterodoxy Economics

Purpose of the study: The aim is to highlight the positives and challenges associated with integrating heterodox economics into formal educational systems at the higher education level. Given the complexity of contemporary economic problems, economic education should embrace new theories and approaches often marginalized by dominant, orthodox economics. A key focus is providing students with the opportunity to choose among alternative perspectives, methods, and research tools, laying the groundwork for redefining university-level economic education. Methodology: Critical analysis and comparative analysis were employed to evaluate the potential of opening economic education to new approaches, including those informed by heterodox perspectives on interpreting economic phenomena, while emphasizing the importance of offering diverse research methods for selection. Main findings: Heterodox education, as an alternative to mainstream economics, shapes the future directions of economic science, the practice of economic policymaking, and the professionalization of the economist's role, including their ethical responsibility. A modern economist should be educated comprehensively, requiring a redefinition of traditional educational standards to enable a choice among a broad range of theories and research tools. Application of the study: This study provides a foundation for educational policy and further empirical research into higher education in economics, incorporating openness to new approaches and theories. Originality/Novelty of the study: This work emphasizes the significance of alternative concepts, which are typically marginalized in economic education at the higher education level due to the dominant position of orthodox economics. It highlights the need to redefine economic education by focusing on the possibility of choosing alternative methods and approaches, fostering a multidimensional perspective on monetary problems, and opening the floor for further discussion on the future of economic education.