Publications

2023 Annual Conference

The Economics and Business Educators NSW invites you to the 2023 Annual Conference, which will be held at the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, at the University of Technology Sydney. For many years now, this annual event has been the premier conference for teachers of Economics, Business Studies, Legal Studies and Commerce in NSW and from Australian International Schools overseas.

Focus on Economics

What is Economics? (RBA)

Economics and Business Educators (EBE) NSW is an active professional teachers association, representing and supporting teachers of the NSW Education Standards Authority Economics, Business Studies, Legal Studies and Commerce courses. Our vision is to inspire teachers to be passionate and dynamic Economics, Business, Legal and Commerce educators.

In This Issue

Here’s a summary of this term’s edition of the EBE Bulletin, focussing on Economics.
  • What’s it like being a Director?
  • Skills in the HSC Economics syllabus, and the ones that aren’t that you still need to know

What's it like being a Director?

I have been a Director of Economics and Business Educators (EBE) NSW since 2013. Over the years I have learned from expert educators, increased my participation in EBE activities and grown in my professional practice as a result. I highly recommend being a director of EBE NSW to teachers who have a passion for helping colleagues advance their practice, want to contribute to educational policy development, and highly value the key subject areas of Commerce, Economics, Business Studies and Legal Studies.

Skills in the HSC Economics syllabus, and the ones that aren’t that you still need to know

A common source of frustration for new economics teachers relates to breaking down the mathematical skills in the HSC Economics course. Just when you think you’ve identified all of the diagrams and formulas required in the syllabus, suddenly a question comes up in the HSC exam on something totally different! This article will break down all of the formulas and diagrams that are essential to know, including the ones that are not specified in the syllabus.

Who studies Economics?

While the New South Wales Higher School Certificate (HSC) is a highly valued credential in Australia and internationally, representing a record of achievement for 13 years of schooling, its lack of flexibility, overcrowded curriculum and highly competitive dynamic that aggravates underlying issues of inequality was highlighted by teachers in the Masters Review (2020). The potency of the HSC cannot be understated as it is a key component of the state’s social and economic infrastructure and an important policy lever for governments.

References

Alismail, H., & McGuire, P. (2015). 21st century standards and curriculum: Current research and practice. Journal of Educational Practice, 6(6), 150-154. Apple, M. (1993a). Official knowledge: Democratic education in a conservative age. Routledge. Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008). Teaching for meaningful learning: A review of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning. In R. Furger (Ed.), Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding. John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Explicitly teaching the China Case Study

Nick Ward. Last year I decided to explicitly teach the China Case Study in HSC Economics, which improved students’ knowledge and understanding in this area. Below is a snapshot of my experience. In the last section of HSC Topic One – The Global Economy, students complete a case study. The syllabus stipulates students need to

Undertake a case study of the influence of globalisation on an economy other than Australia, including an evaluation of the strategies used to promote economic growth and development in this economy"

In the past I have used an unstructured inquiry approach for this topic, giving students the freedom to research this themselves. However, informal feedback from students and analysing student assessment data (both internally and externally) it was evident there was significant scope for improvement with the delivery of this content.

Teachers clearly showing students what to do and how to do it, rather than having students discover that information themselves (CESE, 2020, p. 1).

As such, last year I decided to explicitly teach the case study to my students. At the time I was working in a high performing public school, and I had to be across the content in great detail as the students were motivated and inquisitive. For a number of years I had advocated strongly for the China Case Study, as it linked in quite well when looking at Australia’s trading partners in Topic 2 – Australia’s Place in the Global Economy. 

Happening Now

Planning is underway for the EBE annual conference, hosted at the University of Technology’s Chau Chak Wing Building in the School of Business. We’ll have our regular line up offering tailored professional learning for teachers of Economics, Business Studies, Legal Studies and Commerce plus lots more!

Annual Conference: Term 2, Week 9, 23 June.

Planning is underway for the EBE annual conference, hosted at the University of Technology’s Chau Chak Wing Building in the School of Business. We’ll have our regular line up offering tailored professional learning for teachers of Economics, Business Studies, Legal Studies and Commerce plus lots more!