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Using rich panel data including potential output for euro area countries, we analyse budget balance forecasts and their errors. We find that budget balance forecasts are systematically biased and subject to mean reversion (tendency towards more balanced budgets). A robust result is that errors in budget balance nowcasts contribute to errors in budget balance forecasts. In addition, we find that nowcasted macroeconomic conditions can affect over-optimism in budget balance forecasts. Overall, our results emphasize the central role of nowcasting in the EU fiscal framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of a deeply gendered history of craft education in Finland, technology education has a strong gender-related dependence. In order to motivate girls into pursuing technological studies and to enable them to see their own potential in technology, gender sensitive approaches should be developed in technology education. This study explores differences between girls' and boys' motivation towards technology education in primary school (grades one to six). A questionnaire was carried out with pupils in grades five and six (n = 281). An Explorative Factor Analysis was performed on statements of motivation, and the independent samples t test was used to examine gender differences in pupils' motivation. Factor analyses showed that pupils' motivation structure consisted of nine factors. The results also showed gender differences in most factors. Compared to boys, girls were significantly more interested in studying environment related issues. They also felt it fundamental to obtain support and encouragement from teachers. Additionally girls enjoyed more than boys making useful and decorative artefacts for their homes. In contrast, boys liked more than girls building electronic devices and, in general, cared what kinds of artefacts were made in craft lessons. Boys were more self-confident; felt that they could learn new things; felt very enthusiastic about craft lessons and felt it was fun to learn how to operate different tools. These findings reveal obvious gender-based differences in pupils' motivation. Curriculum writers and teachers should therefore pay more attention to girls to assist them with seeing the relevance of technology in their everyday lives as well as technology related careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even if the results of international student assessment studies such as PISA or TIMSS show that girls have been catching up in mathematics and natural sciences, there are still remarkable gender differences in the number of males and females studying and working in the technological fields after basic education. Technology is still a male-dominated area. This is true for the German and Finnish societies. Results of the studies conducted in the UPDATE project show that influences on interest in technological themes take place already in early childhood. Therefore, efforts should be put in developing early childhood education and elementary school education, to raise girls’ interests and motivation towards technology. This article reports the results of the UPDATE-WorkPackage3-project mainly in Finland and in Germany. It concentrates on studying elementary school pupils’ (age 6–12), particularly girls’ motivation towards the contents and methods of technology education. Various curriculum documents and national learning conditions are discussed and suggestions for the gender equitable technology education are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]