It has long been suggested that the ‘homo economicus’ assumption underpinning neo-classical theory is not limited to its theoretical function, but also has a ‘productive’ function by ‘creating’ individuals acting in accordance with the assumption. Nelson (2006) and Zaman (2013) offer some clues as to how this process can be understood. They describe that and how we have come to embrace the metaphorical understanding of economy as a machine, running on self-interest, as something real rather than a figure of speech. Along the way, the tools with which sustainability issues could be addressed have become limited to those that fit ‘homo economicus’. In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008 and increased concerns about climate change, this critique of economics education has been re-actualised to the extent that economics students have organised themselves worldwide, calling for a curricular reform. In line with this critique, academic economists have also argued that to equip students for the challenges of the 21^st century, economics education needs to embrace a more complex and dynamic picture of human nature. In view of this, it could be argued that researchers and teachers need tools to identify situations in educational practices where ‘homo economicus’ is reproduced or challenged. The purpose of this paper is to address this need by suggesting a methodological approach drawing on poststructuralist discourse theory and a methodological approach for analysis of meaning-making in classroom practice.