Lesson Plan

• Describe what secondary research is and why it is used in market research.
• Identify and compare four key sources of secondary data: competitor websites, government sources, market reports, and trade magazines.
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each secondary source for reliability and relevance.
• Apply a step‑by‑step process to locate, assess, and extract useful secondary data for a given business scenario.
• Recognise gaps in secondary data that may require primary research.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Handout summarising secondary data sources and comparison table
• Sample market research brief (printed)
• Computers or tablets with internet access
• Access to a government statistics portal (e.g., national statistics website)
• Excerpt from a trade magazine

Begin with a quick poll: “Where do you go first when you need information about a market?” Students share ideas, linking to prior experience of using Google or company websites. Explain that today’s lesson will focus on secondary research, the first and cost‑effective step in market research, and outline the success criteria: students will be able to describe key sources, weigh their pros and cons, and plan how to use them.

1. Do‑Now (5') – Students list all sources they think provide market information; share on the board.
2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Define secondary research and present the four key sources with real‑world examples (projector).
3. Comparison activity (12') – In pairs, students complete a handout comparing advantages and disadvantages of each source; discuss findings.
4. Source evaluation (10') – Using a sample business brief, groups assess the credibility and relevance of a chosen secondary source and present a brief justification.
5. Gap analysis (8') – Groups identify any information gaps that would require primary research and record them.
6. Quick recap quiz (5') – Kahoot/exit‑ticket with three questions on definitions and source evaluation.
7. Homework briefing (5') – Assign students to locate one piece of secondary data for a chosen product and prepare a short summary.

Summarise that secondary research provides a foundational base of existing data but must be critically assessed for relevance and bias. Students complete an exit ticket stating one advantage and one limitation of a source they examined. For homework, they will find a recent market report or government statistic related to a product of their choice and write a brief annotation.