Unit rationale, description and aim
Junior secondary Commerce and Business plays a critical role in building adolescents’ conceptual knowledge and proficiency in resource allocation, decision?making, markets, business structures, entrepreneurship, work and income, consumer and financial decisions, consumers–business–government links, trade, and globalisation. Preservice teachers require deep understanding of the Years 7–10 Commerce and Business curriculum, including its structure, content and proficiency strands, achievement standards and underpinning learning progressions. This unit supports preservice teachers’ to teach Commerce and Business through evidence-informed approaches emphasising conceptual understanding, economic and financial reasoning, and systems and futures thinking. It enables preservice teachers to address the diverse learning needs of students, including those requiring targeted intervention or extension.
Through inquiry, modelling and collaborative learning, preservice teachers critically engage with the Australian Curriculum and jurisdictional documentation. Workshops and online modules introduce evidence-based pedagogies including explicit instruction, worked examples, multiple representations, scaffolded discussions, and structured problem-solving. Preservice teachers analyse curriculum materials, examine common student misconceptions, evaluate tasks typical of the field, digital tools and resources that support learning and differentiation across Years 7–10.
The aim of this unit is to develop preservice teachers’ curriculum and pedagogical content knowledge for effective Commerce and Business teaching in Years 7–10.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from 糖心原创 with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe the structure, intent and key features of...
Learning Outcome 01
Examine how students learn in Commerce and Busines...
Learning Outcome 02
Critically analyse the concepts, substance and str...
Learning Outcome 03
Design coherent lesson and unit sequences in Comme...
Learning Outcome 04
Appraise assessment strategies and feedback practi...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Reflecting on prior experiences of teaching and learning in Years 7-10 Commerce and Business (C&B)
- Australian Curriculum for Years 7-10 C&B, including Cross?Curriculum Priorities, General Capabilities and local curriculum documentation
- Theories of learning and knowledge frameworks for Years 7-10 C&B pedagogy including Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), collaborative learning and explicit instruction
- Designing units of work and related summative assessments for Years 7-10 C&B
- Teaching strategies and approaches for Years 7–10 C&B, including explicit teaching, argumentation and financial/economic reasoning strategies and project-based approaches
- Strategies for monitoring and differentiating student learning in Years 7-10 C&B, including formal and informal feedback, checklists, differentiated instruction model (content, process, product, learning environment)
- Classroom verbal and non-verbal communication for Years 7-10 C&B, including the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) model, questioning, scaffolding and argumentation
- Resource development and curation to support Years 7-10 C&B teaching and learning that is ethical and professional, including the use of generative AI for data analysis, financial modelling and business simulation
- Roles and professional responsibilities of a contemporary teacher of Years 7-10 C&B, including student safety and wellbeing in online environments, including generative AI.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessment in this unit is designed to support preservice teachers’ development of curriculum knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and assessment capability for teaching Commerce and Business in Years 7–10. The two tasks reflect authentic school?based responsibilities that preservice teachers will undertake during professional experience and early career teaching. Both tasks include explicit instruction on the ethical and appropriate use of generative AI for brainstorming, drafting and editing, with clear requirements regarding attribution, transparency and originality.
Task 1 asks preservice teachers to design a coherent Years 7–10 Commerce and Business unit of work aligned with curriculum requirements and culminating in a summative assessment task. This task assesses their ability to interpret curriculum intent, integrate evidence-informed pedagogical approaches, embed explicit instruction, differentiation and inclusive practices, and justify curriculum, pedagogical and assessment decisions using scholarly and policy evidence. Task 2 requires preservice teachers to select teaching and assessment resources, followed by an appraisal of each resource. This includes examining how the resources support disciplinary knowledge and skills, address diverse learner needs, and reflect contemporary frameworks for quality teaching.
To pass this unit, preservice teachers need to complete all assessment tasks and receive a passing grade of 50% overall.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Planning a Unit of Work Desig...
Assessment Task 1: Planning a Unit of Work
Design a coherent Year 7–10 Commerce and Business unit of work that aligns with curriculum requirements and leads to a selected summative assessment task. Integrate evidence informed approaches to (1) develop content and skills relevant to the Commerce and Business field, including economic and financial reasoning; (2) incorporate explicit instruction, differentiation and inclusive practices; and (3) critique the curriculum, pedagogical and assessment decisions using relevant scholarly and policy evidence.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Resource Folio Develop or pur...
Assessment Task 2: Resource Folio
Develop or purposefully select eight resources to support teaching and assessment in Years 7–10 Commerce and Business. Critically analyse and justify how each resource supports disciplinary knowledge and skills, including for diverse learner needs. Appraise the resources and their pedagogical design using relevant pedagogical frameworks. The resources should demonstrate the thorough integration of systems thinking, future-focused pedagogy, inclusive practices, and curriculum alignment reflecting best practice in teaching, learning, and assessment in Commerce and Business.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The teaching approach in this unit is grounded in social constructivist and adult learning principles that promote active engagement, collaboration and reflective practice. Preservice teachers learn through a combination of modelling, critical reading, discussion and hands on activities that make pedagogical concepts visible. Tutorials introduce evidence-informed strategies relevant to Commerce and Business, including explicit instruction, inquiry-based learning, problem-solving, and collaborative learning. Throughout the unit, preservice teachers gather and evaluate evidence of their developing pedagogical capabilities and reflect on their progress against the Graduate Teacher Standards and Core Content.
Tutorials and microteaching activities provide opportunities to trial strategies, analyse student needs, and practise professional communication in supportive environments. Online modules and self-regulated learning extend access to theoretical content and allow preservice teachers to consolidate understanding at their own pace. Given the complexity of curriculum documents and pedagogical models, scaffolding is used to support learners who may need explicit navigation of concepts, while optional supports, accessible materials and multiple means of engagement ensure equitable participation for preservice teachers with disability or diverse learning needs.
Representative texts and references
Recommended texts and documents
Australian Curriculum
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
Relevant jurisdictional curriculum documents
ACT Education Directorate: .
New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA): .
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (CAA): .
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): .
Recommended references
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Gillespie, A. (2017). Approaches to learning and teaching business and economics: A toolkit for international teachers. Cambridge University Press.
H?gg, G., & Gabrielsson, J. (2020). A systematic literature review of the evolution of pedagogy in entrepreneurial education research. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 26(5), 829–861. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-04-2018-0272.
Hardie, B., Highfield, C., & Lee, K. (2020). Entrepreneurship education today for students’ unknown futures. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 4(3), 401–417.
Hill, R., & Myatt, T. (2021). The microeconomics anti?textbook: A critical thinker’s guide (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
Lopus, J. S., Amidjono, D. S., & Grimes, P. W. (2019). Improving financial literacy of the poor and vulnerable. International Review of Economics Education, 32, 100168.
Lusardi, A. (2019). Financial literacy and the need for financial education: Evidence and implications. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(1), 5–30.
Mancone, S., Tosti, B., Corrado, S., Spica, G., Zanon, A., & Diotaiuti, P. (2024). Youth, money, and behavior: The impact of financial literacy programs. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1397060
Matthews, C. H., & Cohen, J. (2022). Explicit instruction: A brief review of what we know and next directions for research. In Routledge encyclopedia of education. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781138609877-REE20-1
Matthews, C. H., & Liguori, E. W. (Eds.). (2021). Annals of entrepreneurship education and pedagogy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Organisation for Economic Co?operation and Development. (2020). PISA 2018 results (Volume IV): Are students smart about money? OECD Publishing.
Organisation for Economic Co?operation and Development. (2024). Shaping students’ financial literacy: The role of parents and socio-economic backgrounds. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/c3f3dc74-en
Oberrauch, L., Kaiser, T., & Lusardi, A. (2024). Assessing financial literacy among the young. Journal of Financial Literacy and Wellbeing, 2(1), 63–78.
Pascall, L. (Ed.). (2022). Learning to teach business in the secondary school: A companion to school experience. Routledge.
Powell, P., & Nayak, B. S. (Eds.). (2022). Creative business education: Exploring the contours of pedagogical praxis. Springer.
Tedam, P., & Darkwa, S. (2024). A model of effective teaching of economics in higher education. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 30.