Professional Knowledge and Practice (Pedagogy, Curriculum, Assessment)
The Professional knowledge and practice domain tests your ability to plan and teach Economics using Ghana’s curriculum and to assess learning validly. It covers pedagogical content knowledge, lesson planning, learner-centred methods, resources, and formative and summative assessment.
Curriculum and planning
Ghana’s school curriculum is standards-based: content standards, learning indicators, core competencies and values drive planning. For Economics, start from the indicator and its verb, then select a method and evidence of learning. A strong lesson plan states prior knowledge, learning indicators, core competencies (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, digital literacy), teaching/learning resources, differentiated activities and assessment. Use problem-solving, inquiry, case studies, simulations and data interpretation rather than lecture-only teaching. Pedagogical content knowledge means anticipating misconceptions: for example, learners confuse a shift in demand with a movement along the curve, or treat GDP as welfare.
Assessment
Assessment for learning (formative) uses questioning, quizzes, observation and feedback during teaching. Assessment of learning (summative) measures achievement at the end. Assessment as learning develops learner self-regulation. Align items with the indicator’s cognitive demand, use a table of specifications, write clear verbs, provide rubrics and give timely feedback. WAEC/GES rules on School-Based Assessment and external examinations apply; keep records accurate and secure.
Worked example
A 40-item multiple-choice test is planned. The blueprint allocates 40% knowledge, 35% application and 25% analysis/evaluation. Topic A is taught for 6 of 40 hours. Its share is 6/40 = 15%, so it gets 0.15 × 40 = 6 items. Within those 6, apply the blueprint: 40% of 6 = 2.4, round to 2 knowledge items; 35% of 6 = 2.1, round to 2 application items; 25% of 6 = 1.5, round to 2 higher-order items. The reasoning is that item counts must reflect both content weighting and cognitive demand; a test that samples only Topic A or only recall is not valid for the whole course.
Traps
Do not write “discuss” or “know” as assessable indicators without criteria. Do not use group work without individual accountability. Do not confuse formative assessment with “no marks”. Do not ignore learners with disabilities or language barriers. Do not teach to the test or reuse one method for every indicator.