6.1 In most schools the business education subjects are taught by a number of subject specialists, managed by a principal teacher who is accountable to the headteacher for the effective running of his or her department. In business studies departments the appointment of an assistant principal teacher is uncommon, although in a small, but increasing, number of departments the person in charge has been appointed at APT level. Although business studies departments range from one to six members of staff, most commonly the department contains three members of staff and may offer two or three subjects at Standard Grade, three or occasionally four at Higher Grade and up to 12 National Certificate modules, predominantly in text and word processing. Very few departments offer the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies.
Effective Leadership
6.2 The leadership of the principal teacher is perhaps the single most important contribution to an effective department. This was judged to be good or very good in the great majority of departments. Good principal teachers exhibit a range of qualities:
professional competence in the subject;
good teaching abilities;
the capacity to create a good ethos in the department;
the ability to create and maintain good relationships with colleagues, pupils and parents;
excellent organisational skills; and
good management skills.
They use all of these qualities to create an environment which allows and encourages teachers to teach well and to meet the needs of pupils.
6.3 In recent years the role of principal teachers has changed markedly. Over the last 10 years, there have been significant and continuing changes to the curriculum, learning and teaching approaches, assessment practices and reporting to parents, as well as an increased need for evaluation and accountability to the School Board, parents and government. Principal teachers have responded well to these heavy demands.
6.4 The responsibilities of principal teachers are many and varied. In most business studies departments, although the number of staff may be limited, several subjects are taught. This imposes demands both on the principal teacher and on other staff. As a result, the time available to the principal teacher is short, and it is important that teachers share responsibilities and that all are aware of the responsibilities which are allocated to them.
6.5 Where teachers share responsibilities, principal teachers have encouraged them, through development planning and planned activity time, to accept responsibility for an aspect of the department's work, such as organising and maintaining resources for a course, cataloguing and reviewing audio-visual resources or compiling pupil tasks for differentiated coursework or homework.
6.6 Many business studies departments also develop a system of subject specialisation with particular teachers accepting responsibility for each subject, especially at Higher Grade. This enhances the expertise, credibility and enthusiasm of staff and, provided it is linked to a flexible approach to teaching other subjects, can have beneficial effects. However, the principal teacher who allows individual members of staff to restrict their teaching to one subject only is likely to be storing up problems in the longer term. If the number of pupils who wish to study a particular business education subject declines the subject may no longer be viable; this leaves a teacher who teaches only that subject in a weak position. Alternatively, the member of staff responsible for a subject may move, be promoted, or, in rare cases, be absent from school for some time through illness or secondment. The resulting lack of up-to-date knowledge or practice in the teaching of the subject on the part of other departmental staff, or the lack of appropriately qualified supply teachers, can have a very noticeably adverse effect on pupils. In one school:
"one member of staff had taught economics for over eleven years. Examination results had been consistently good but pupil numbers were now dwindling. He had not taught OIS or accounting and finance for the past six years. The school now had a serious problem about how to deploy him because he was out of touch with the changes in course content and assessment requirements and lacked credibility in the eyes of pupils and parents."
Communication and consultation
6.7 In most business studies departments, where time is in short supply and teachers are extremely busy, communication must be good and time used efficiently. This is easier if the department meets and discusses on-going matters on a regular basis and has good procedures and consistent practices. Many business studies departments, being small and with all staff sharing a work base, conduct a great deal of effective work informally. However, although this is valuable, especially in departments which have a good ethos, it is no substitute for a regular, formal departmental meeting. Almost all departments hold a weekly departmental meeting. Although these meetings are used to discuss many issues, many are devoted, either largely or exclusively, to passing on information or to dealing with administrative matters.
6.8 It is important to deal with administration effectively if departments are to function well. However, although the best departments give attention in the departmental meeting to administrative matters, they do not allow them to dominate the meeting. These departments make time available to discuss and reach shared decisions on important issues such as learning and teaching approaches, planning of assessment, homework, staff development, resources and the monitoring and review of pupil performance. Departments should consider how to use the limited meeting time which they have to the best effect.
6.9 Many departments have found that some formality in meetings is essential. Good departments draw up a simple agenda which helps to structure the meeting and ensure that the really important issues are discussed. They also maintain a simple minute or list of action points, a copy of which they pass to a member of the senior management team. In many departments a link member of the senior management team attends regularly and makes a valuable contribution to departmental meetings. He or she can offer a different perspective on some issues and can give insight into the thinking of the senior management team. In many cases this role is carried out effectively. In a few cases the contribution of the link member is not as effective as it might be because he or she attends erratically, is unclear about his or her role, or dominates meetings with discussion on whole-school issues and does not leave sufficient time for departmental matters. The most effective meetings are those chaired by the principal teacher in which enough time is given to discuss both departmental and whole-school issues as needs arise. In one of the most effective departments inspected:
"the new principal teacher had involved all teachers in discussing the key issues in the weekly departmental meeting. The benefits were clear for all to see and were commented upon by the teachers - they were much more enthusiastic and willing to implement departmental policies because they felt that they had been fully involved in decision-making. This was reflected in the excellent team spirit."
6.10 In the majority of departments teachers operate as a team, but in a few they operate largely as individuals and there is no sense of co-operation. In these departments the principal teacher does not attempt to exercise any supervision of the teachers’ programmes of work. The result is often a department with staff hostile either to the principal teacher or to each other. In these departments pupils suffer. In one such department:
"the principal teacher adopted a laissez-faire style of management, leaving it to staff to decide on their own development priorities. His allocation of work on new courses led to a grossly unfair distribution of work. The result was hostility between teachers with different workloads and overwork for some of them. The increasing hostility affected departmental meetings and teamwork broke down. In the OIS classes, which all members of staff taught, two teachers co-operated with each other but did not share the results of their development work with the others, both of whom worked independently. Pupils were much less successful than they should have been."
6.11 The majority of principal teachers create a climate of openness and trust, helped by working in relatively small departments in close proximity to their colleagues. The best lead by example, contributing to development work in the department and to the life of the school. Many are members of whole-school working parties which allows their departments to have some influence on the development of whole-school policies. Where principal teachers do not contribute in this way, it reduces the profile and influence of their departments in the school.
6.12 Almost all business studies departments are effectively administered. Resources are well organised, timetabling is efficient, record keeping is good as is budget and resource management.
Aims, policies and curriculum management
6.13 Although most departments have a statement of aims, only in a minority are these well thought through. Few spell out the contribution which the business education subjects make to the curriculum. In most departments, however, staff are able to articulate vigorously the contribution they make to the education of pupils.
6.14 Most business studies departments have developed good consistent practice in dealing with important issues. In some departments the practice evolves; in others it has to be created. Writing policy statements helps teachers to come to share good practice. Many teachers do not see the value of writing policy statements and, with time in short supply, this is understandable, especially in small departments. The value lies mainly in the discussion and the sharing of views among the staff as the policy is developed. Writing it down helps to clarify thinking and ensure that it is sufficiently robust to deal with likely events.
6.15 Many good departments have a departmental handbook to guide staff on procedures and on school and departmental policy so that practice is consistent. This gives each member of staff a written record of departmental policy and practice to which he or she can refer. Although this is particularly valuable to new teachers, it is also useful to the more experienced and to supply teachers who may be required to work in the department. Ideally a departmental handbook includes:
the aims of the department;
lines of responsibility and awareness of communication;
the responsibilities of each member of staff;
what subjects are offered by the department and why;
course syllabuses and module descriptors, including the time scale for the completion of units of work, and guidelines on the departmental teaching approach to each;
the amount and type of homework which should be given to each year group in each subject;
how each course and module is to be assessed and the results recorded;
the resources available for each subject;
departmental discipline policy;
the management of hardware and software
health and safety issues;
the review of previous examination statistics including the interpretation of relative ratings, national comparison factors and value added;
the departmental development plan giving details of the department’s objectives and targets for the year; and
details of the PAT programme.
Virtually all departments have a handbook which deals with some of these issues; few deal with them all.
6.16 Much of the content of good departmental handbooks is common to departments throughout the school. One item, however, which is especially important to business studies departments is guidance on the curriculum offered by the department. Effective principal teachers realise that, with the breadth and choice of subjects available in business education, it is impossible for them to offer everything and they must identify what they wish to offer and why. Although the interests of pupils is paramount in this decision, the implications for teachers' workload must be considered. Good departments ensure that courses give continuity and progression from S3 to S6 and they offer appropriate courses to a wide range of pupils. Some pupils are aiming for university entrance; others will wish to acquire vocational qualifications; a third group will have arrived in the department for a variety of reasons, some because they like the subject, some because they dislike other subjects and some to fill a gap in their timetable. Good departments offer a blend of courses and modules and ensure that staff expertise and the necessary resources are available to teach them.
6.17 The most crucial part of a principal teacher’s responsibilities lies in offering pupils the highest quality of education of which the department is capable and ensuring that the resources given to the department are adequate to permit the courses to be taught and are used efficiently. This is normally achieved by the principal teacher monitoring the curriculum.
6.18 A principal teacher must be sure that all of the content of each course is covered and that it is taught in such a way that the aims of the course are met. He or she needs to check that homework is issued in line with the school policy and that it is appropriate for the pupils and for the subject.
6.19 Care must be taken to ensure that subjects are assessed properly and consistently by all teachers and that the correct standards are applied throughout the department. Some cross-marking is, therefore, desirable. An increasingly important task is the monitoring of examination results by subject, examination element and by teacher. The SOEID relative ratings, national comparison factors and value-added tables contribute very useful information. Although many principal teachers do consider how their pupils have performed in examinations, few analyse the available information systematically.
6.20 In addition the principal teacher ought to ensure that all classrooms are neat and tidy and well decorated, the use of equipment is monitored and defects reported promptly. This sets a good professional example to pupils and is especially important in a business studies department. Without the principal teacher undertaking these tasks, he or she cannot be sure that pupils are receiving the quality of education to which they are entitled or that resources are being used efficiently.
6.21 Ideally, as well as monitoring the activities mentioned above, principal teachers should ensure that the quality of teaching in the department is good. Few principal teachers observe and comment on lessons systematically. Many claim to 'drop-in' to classrooms and to monitor work in this way. Although 'dropping-in' provides some information, it is not enough evidence upon which to judge the quality of teaching. Some principal teachers do not monitor the quality of teaching at all, either formally or informally. In one school:
"the class teacher confided to the HMI that he was the first adult to spend any time in her class in 26 years".
6.22 Almost all principal teachers of business studies monitor and evaluate the work of their departments. Historically, departmental monitoring has been relatively informal. In small departments, with no more than two members of staff, and staff are experienced and well known to the principal teachers, this is understandable. As departments become larger, however, it is no longer sufficient or fair to monitor informally. Staff should understand that the principal teacher will monitor their work through visits to the classroom, informal discussion in the staff base, observation of classroom displays, scrutiny of pupil jotters, marking of unit tests, sampling of homework, the frequency with which topic targets are met, SCE examination results and comments from pupils and parents. Some of these matters will be discussed in departmental meetings with all staff present. In particularly good departments, however, many will also be discussed individually with teachers.
6.23 Although most principal teachers have always been able to discuss matters of concern with the headteacher, in recent years this process has become more regular and systematic. These meetings are successful when the relationship between the principal teacher and the headteacher is strong. There should be formal contact between them to discuss where the department is going, how it is performing, how it is being resourced, what contribution it can make to the wider life of the school and, most importantly, how best to improve the quality of pupils' experience. In good schools such a meeting takes place at least once a year.
6.24 The principal teacher has to set out the way ahead for his or her department in the light of the priorities of the School Development Plan and the strengths and weaknesses of the department. The identification of strengths and weaknesses is best carried out in a formal audit. Having identified and discussed the areas for development, the department must determine what action needs to be taken and then produce a departmental development plan. Ideas are translated into a form which allows targets to be set, necessary resources to be identified, staff to be allocated duties and success outcomes to be clearly identified. It also ensures that the workload is challenging but not excessive. Departments must ensure that their development targets reflect and are compatible with whole-school development priorities. Business studies teachers have much to offer to the wider life of the school and should not concentrate entirely on internal matters.
Management checklist
6.25 To help departments to improve the quality of their work, the following checklist of features is offered, drawing on the evidence of inspections. Well managed departments provide for the following as far as is within their powers:
Course planning
Courses:
have a planned sequence to allow the logical development of knowledge, understanding and practical and investigative skills;
include detailed timescales for completion of projects, investigations and assignments;
provide for varying levels of previous pupil attainment, in the difficulty of task and in the level of written material;
have a balanced development of knowledge, understanding and practical skills;
relate as far as possible to real events; and
take account of school, EA and national policies (e.g. homework).
Teaching methods
Pupils have the opportunity to work as a class, in groups and individually.
Teachers select and match their teaching approaches accordingly.
Pupils of all levels of ability are challenged to reach the highest level of attainment of which they are capable.
Assignments frequently permit pupils to develop their understanding by writing extended prose.
Teachers regularly set significant assignments to be tackled at home.
Pupils have good quality notes clearly identifying and distinguishing what they need to know and what they have to be able to do.
Pupils have clear information on course content, assessable elements, the form and date of final examination and any deadlines set for submission of projects or investigations.
Assessment
Departmental arrangements for assessment take account of school, EA and national policies (SEB and SCOTVEC requirements)
Teachers respond constructively in some way to all the tasks they ask pupils to undertake.
Pupils' work is assessed using agreed criteria.
Pupils know the criteria by which their work is judged.
Pupils have opportunities to assess and comment on the quality of their work.
Guidance is offered to pupils and parents on how to improve attainment.
Teachers keep simple records of pupils' strengths and developmental needs.
Teachers regularly review the progress of class groups, and take account of results in external and internal examinations, using guidance issued nationally, to improve their teaching approaches and materials.
An agreed form of record of teachers' work with classes is maintained.
Teachers regularly engage in cross-marking and discussion to ensure uniformity of standards.
Pupils maintain folders of their best work in relevant subjects.
Resources
Agreed procedures are in place for the identification and purchase of resources.
Written and non-written resources are efficiently managed so that they and their uses are known to all teachers and can be used in a planned way.
Stock is controlled to minimise losses, and pupils are regularly allowed to take books home for assignments.
Classes have planned and effective use of computing and word-processing equipment.
Teachers co-operate in the production and revision of learning materials.
Teaching materials are well constructed and presented to a high standard to help pupils' learning.
Accommodation
Classrooms are made attractive by the display of pupils' work and up-to-date learning resources.
Class furnishings are arranged to allow whole-class teaching, group work and individual work.
Records and assessment materials are securely stored.
As far as possible, each teacher has his or her own room.
The standard of classroom housekeeping sets a good example to pupils.
Timetabling
Whenever possible, the splitting of responsibility for a class between two teachers is avoided. When it is either unavoidable or there are learning benefits to be gained, it is carefully planned to ensure logic and continuity in pupils' learning.
When two teachers co-operate in one class, they are given opportunity to plan their activities in advance.
In assigning classes a balance between teachers' interests and expertise and the need to ensure that staff maintain flexibility is maintained.
6.26 Although all of these attributes have not been found together in one perfect Business Studies Department, enough are found in good departments to justify offering them to teachers and senior managers as pointers for evaluating good practice.
7.1 In describing and evaluating provision and practice in business education, several issues have been raised. This section identifies those which are of the highest priority and makes recommendations concerning the future development of the subject.
7.2 Business education in the curriculum
Principal Teachers should:
7.3 Provision and uptake in schools
Departments should:
ensure that courses for S1 and S2 are coherent and intrinsically valuable to pupils (3.4-3.7);
select the subjects to be offered by the department at Standard Grade and Higher Grade, based on meeting the needs of a wide range of pupils (3.14-3.19, 3.25-3.30);
offer a range of National Certificate modules which act as a stepping stone or as an alternative, to Higher Grade for those for whom success at Higher Grade is unlikely. National Certificate modules also provide the skills which some pupils want for personal reasons (3.31-3.33, 4.42-4.44); and
offer advice to pupils on progression routes based on the subjects offered, the probability of success and pupil aspirations (3.31-3.32).
7.4 Learning and teaching approaches
Departments should:
plan learning and teaching to ensure that
the previous experiences and learning of pupils are taken into account
the aims, key ideas, content, assessable elements of the course are covered
all topics receive adequate time
appropriate learning and teaching approaches are used
adequate learning and teaching opportunities are available to allow everyone to achieve at the highest possible level
all internally assessed work is completed in good time to the highest possible standard and pupils are not unduly burdened towards the end of the course
there is time for formative and summative assessment
the work being undertaken by pupils is, where appropriate, clearly and consistently focused on the demands of the course as laid down by the awarding body (4.5-4.14);
choose approaches to learning and teaching which
motivate pupils (4.1-4.4)
match the course objectives and assessable elements (4.18-4.19)
make effective use of homework (4.27-4.32)
develop the skills of information technology (2.17-2.20)
help to develop affective attributes (2.22);
use appropriate strategies to meet the range of ability, including the most able (4.33-4.44);
monitor the work of pupils, ensuring that work is regularly and positively marked, and that pupils are involved, wherever possible in evaluating their own work (4.30 4.31, 4.48-4.52); and
report to pupils and parents constructively ensuring that the comments made lead to the identification of the next steps in learning (4.47, 4.53, 4.54).
7.5 Accommodation, resourcing and staffing
Departments should:
organise accommodation to maximise its contribution to the learning of pupils (5.8-5.14);
communicate with senior management to ensure that they understand the increasing importance of up-to-date hardware and software in business education courses (5.25-5.18);
ensure that the resources of the local community are exploited for the curricular benefit of pupils and that appropriate links are established with local colleges of further education (5.23); and
ensure that staff receive appropriate staff development to enable them to keep up-to-date with current developments (5.5-5.6).
7.6 Managing the department
Principal teachers should:
lead departments effectively, creating the ethos which will encourage staff to give their best (6.2-6.9);
monitor the work of the department systematically and formally so that the experience which pupils receive is of the highest quality (6.14-6.19); and
plan the way ahead and set appropriate targets for staff, ensuring that the workload is challenging but not excessive (6.21).
Head teachers should:
recognise the importance of the contribution of business education to the general education of all pupils (2.2-2.22);
ensure that business education is allowed to play its full part in meeting the requirements of the National Guidelines for Evironmental Studies 5-14 and the necessity to provide technological education for all pupils (3.3-3.9, 3.29);
ensure that the arrangements for option choice do not discourage pupils from taking one or more of the business education subjects (3.8-3.9, 3.29);
recognise the crucial importance of reflecting current business practice for business studies departments and make arrangements for the maintenance and comprehensive upgrading of information technology hardware and software (5.8-5.11);
allocate an appropriate member of the senior management team to link with the department (6.9); and
monitor the department to help it develop a self-critical attitude and an ethos which puts the improvement of the experience of pupils at the heart of the department’s work (6.20).
Education authorities should:
support teachers of business studies to maintain and improve their skills, through staff development, in a rapidly changing environment (5.11); and
recognise the dramatic changes taking place in the ways in which business organisations operate, the central importance of information in all organisations and the implications which this has for the maintenance and continuous upgrading of high quality hardware and software in business studies departments (5.8-5.11).