Intellectual property regulations in school textbooks and curriculums

Abstract

Intellectual property (IP), as an intangible asset, plays a pivotal role in national development and economic growth worldwide through new ideas, inventions, patents, innovations, and advanced technologies. Developing creative thinking skills in children and future inventors from an early age with IP knowledge is crucial, as creativity and innovation are the main driving forces of global economic progress. Many countries, including Finland, Singapore, and South Korea, are integrating IP education into their school systems through collaboration with professional organizations. However, textbook-level empirical analysis of IP education is lacking in Mongolia. Therefore, this study aims to analyze how IP concepts are reflected in Mongolian general secondary school textbooks and identify opportunities for improvement. Using content analysis, 147 textbooks from grades 1-12 on the econtent.edu.mn website were examined through keyword searches. The results showed that IP-related teaching hours increased from 0.15% in 2021 to 0.45% in 2025. However, despite this relative increase, the overall proportion remains insufficient for systematically fostering IP awareness. The content remains fragmented and insufficient for comprehensive understanding. This study suggests that incorporating IP education into curriculum and textbooks may potentially contribute to developing students into creative, ethical, and innovative citizens.