Economics knowledge, attitudes and experience of student teachers in Scotland

There is a move away from teaching economics as a separate subject in Scotland. It is now mainly taught within Business Management courses in upper secondary school and is embedded within several subject areas in both primary and early secondary curricula, a move that is in step with broader curricular aims to break down barriers among subjects. This writing discusses the need for clearly situated teaching and learning of economics, provided by teachers provided by teachers who have sufficient background knowledge to devise effective contexts for learning, whether or not it is taught as a discrete subject. The results of a survey of student teachers' levels of economic literacy are analysed and recommendations made for the preparation of teachers to deal effectively with embedded approaches to teaching about economics

Assessment: Feedback from Our Pasts, Feedforward for Our Futures

This chapter begins by pointing out that the behaviourist paradigm that still largely dominates assessment practices conflicts with more progressive understandings of constructivist and sociocultural approaches to learning and teaching. In order to progress assessment in Technology Education, Kay argues for adopting a pedagogic approach to assessment (where both teaching and assessment practices aim to support learning), maintaining authenticity in activities through which assessment is being undertaken, recognising the importance of judgement in valid processes of assessment, and maintaining a focus on equity and the inclusive role of the learner. The chapter also considers the potential affordances of new technologies in assessment. The chapter concludes by pointing out that future developments should support teachers to align learning and assessment. This is to ensure that learners engage in technological practice that makes visible to them and their teachers and assessors the learning that has taken place and the capability that has been developed