PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING BUSINESS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
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PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING BUSINESS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
The necessity to examine the problems and prospects of teaching Business Studies necessitates this research. This study was conducted at five schools in the Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State. The overall population is 80, divided into two categories: students (65) and teachers (15), with a sample of 25 from each school used for analysis.
The instrument used for data collection is now a questionnaire with 9 question items for teachers and 11 question items for students, which were analysed using simple percentages.
It was discovered, among other things, that Prospects of Teaching Business Studies, it is advised that more equipment be brought to the students’ learning, especially in the study of typewriting, as this is a branch of Business Studies that emphasises the practice of typing.
That the provision and selection of textbooks may be a source of frustration for both instructors and students due to the difficulties in locating textbooks that meet both teachers’ and students’ local and specific classroom demands. The government should give guidance and counsellors to ensure that business studies are taught effectively.
Chapter One: Introduction
Background of Study.
According to Nigeria’s National Policy on Education, business studies is a social science topic that should be taught in all post-primary institutions. Business Studies is made up of several subject areas.
In other words, it is a combination of several disciplines; it is taught as an integrated subject at the Junior Secondary level and includes office practice, commerce, shorthand, typewriting, and bookkeeping.
However, in the Senior Secondary level, the topics are split into shorthand, typewriting, economics, bookkeeping, and accounting in order to provide employment opportunities.
The inclusion of Business Studies in the national curriculum, as reflected in the national education policy (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1981) and the Junior Secondary School (J.S.S) and Senior Secondary School (S.S.S) national curriculum (Federal Ministry of Education, 1984, 1985), has created a massive challenge for Business Studies teacher trainers, particularly at the N.C.E and undergraduate levels.
This difficulty has arisen in the field of establishing programs that would meet the following requirements as indicated in the provocation (J.S.S) and vocational (S.S.S) curricular in terms of:
Knowledge Integration
Learning Objectives
Course content is organised spirally and concentrically.
Competency criteria might be either modular or particular.
The fundamental components of the Business Studies curriculum, as described above, led in behaviourally driven curriculum patterns, particularly at the J.S.S. level. Again, the organisation of course content has relied heavily on defining units of instruction.
This has been achieved using spiral sequencing (for theory-based subjects, such as commerce) and concentric sequencing (for skill-based subjects, such as typewriting). of the content for each subject.
Efforts to satisfy course objectives, on the other hand, resulted in the establishment of performance objectives, which are designed to enhance conceptual, inquiry, learning, and application relatedness, as outlined by Ekpenyong (1994).
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) made the first significant attempt to prepare N.C.E teachers to satisfy the curriculum structure and course objectives of J.S.S. and S.S.S. Business Studies programs in 1987.
The (NBTE) Business Studies curriculum included various aspects aimed at producing teachers who would be well-suited to teaching Business Studies at the secondary school level.
Courses were divided into modules, with clearly defined performance objectives for each module. A common core subject that every student was required to study for the first two years was stated. For the third and final year, students could specialise in accounting or secretarial work.
However, when the National Commission for College of Education (NCCE) took over the N.C.E curriculum from the NBTE in 1990, it decided to remove the majority of the characteristics produced by the latter. For example, the modular framework, course standards, and a declaration of objectives were all abandoned.
As a result, the National Commission for Colleges of Education curriculum for teachers of Business Education has a severe flaw in expressing course outlines in syllabus context. This is undoubtedly ineffective for experienced students/teachers who require assistance in developing appropriate class objectives.
While the aforementioned flaws persist, the National Commission for Colleges of Education should be commended for its efforts to bring about significant changes in the business teachers’ education curriculum, particularly the attempt to include new courses such as entrepreneurship and information technology in its revised curriculum, which was set to begin in the 2002/2003 session.
The value of facilities to the overall success of any educational organisation has never been questioned. Buremoh (1985), Olutola (1989), and Morphet and Roe (1974) emphasise the importance of sufficient training facilities.
In business teacher education, as in other technical courses, the availability of functional training facilities and equipment, such as modern office machines in the form of computers, word processors, electronic typewriters, and office copiers, is critical. There is also a pressing need for adequate working and storage space.
On this basis, when developing the teacher education curriculum, the design teams for various subject areas such as accounting, commerce, word processing, and office management created a list of minimum instructional equipment required for quality instruction.
Although Oyedeji (1991) found no significant difference in the performance of Business Studies students with and without adequate instructional equipment, experience in Business Education Teaching has shown that a lack of equipment can seriously impede student progress, particularly in skill-based subject areas.
Inadequate worker supply has long been recognised as a major impediment to the successful and effective teaching of Business Studies at both the Junior and Senior Secondary School levels of education.
The pitiful situation of a shortage of business professors can be attributed to a structural mismatch in the educational system (Aina, 2000). These issues are evident in the consistently dismal performance of Business Studies.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The issues in teaching Business Studies, like any other subject, have been linked to a lack of teaching materials, as well as the fact that certain professors are not qualified to teach the subject. In certain circumstances, there are trained teachers, but they lack the appropriate instructional materials, rendering their efforts ineffective. Also, occasionally the student or learner is uninterested in the subject and hence performs below expectations.
It is worth noting that the teacher’s teaching technique may make the subject dull. This is simple because a good instructor with a lousy teaching style produces poor results. This study looks into both the problem and the prospects of teaching business studies.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
If the problem with teaching Business Studies is not addressed critically, the subject’s objectives will become unreachable and impossible to effect on the learners.
The study’s goal will be to identify some of the issues that arise while teaching Business Studies. The study will look into possible solutions, as well as how their understanding of the subject affects students and the method they use.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study will investigate the reasons for the gaps in the expectations of Business Studies educators and researchers in terms of increasing students’ academic performance in Business Studies.
It will highlight the significant characteristics of teachers (qualification, use of teaching and learning aids, management of the teaching environment, and personality in fostering a favourable attitude in students towards Business Studies).
Above all, this study will extend the knowledge of Business Studies educators about the many challenges and opportunities for teaching Business Studies in secondary schools.
1.5 Research Questions.
The study developed research questions to determine the above-stated aims. The specific research questions for the project are listed below:
What strategy does the teacher employ to teach Business Studies to students?
What are the students’ attitudes towards learning Business Studies?
What instructional materials are accessible for teaching business studies?
What qualifications are required for teaching Business Studies?
What experiences are required for teaching Business Studies?
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study will cover the entire spectrum of business instruction, including learners’ attitudes towards the topic, teaching methods, instructor qualifications and experience, and the types and uses of textbooks in the classroom.
The study is limited to secondary schools in the Shomolu Local Government. This is owing to the requirement for easy data collecting and analysis, as well as cost reduction.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
Several factors impeded the completion of this research, including the following:
Time Constraint: Due to the school academic calendar, the time window allocated to complete this study was extremely short, and it was carried out under pressure, causing the researcher to overlook several critical features.
Establishment Policies: Establishment policies created a significant challenge because most employees are unwilling to release information required for this project.
There was a lot of information required from the staff of this establishment to improve the study, which took a long time to disclose or was not released at all for security reasons, therefore the scope was narrowed.
The availability of research material is a significant limitation to the breadth of the investigation.
Frequent power outages prompted the researcher to spend extra money on gasoline to ensure sustainable power.
Financial constraints: Insufficient funds tend to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in accessing relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in data collecting (internet, questionnaire, interview).
1.8 Sampling Design and Procedure.
Because the purpose of this research is to determine the problems and prospects of teaching business studies in secondary schools, the sampling population will consist of secondary school students and teachers from some selected schools in the Shomolu Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
1.9 Definition of Terms.
Business is the study of how humans organise to maintain collective production in order to achieve certain creative and productive goals (typically for profit).
Techniques are the processes by which the teacher associates the learner with the learning task. Techniques are typically used inside a method. They are part of a method for approaching a topic.
Method: It is the organisation of people in order to carry out an educational activity with the goal of reaching a specific objective.
Teaching is simply the process of imparting knowledge; it is the process of instructing someone or causing someone to know or be able to do something.
Problem: It’s difficult to deal with or understand.
Prospect: It refers to the prospect of something happening or opportunities for achievement.
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Chapter Two: 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction
This chapter’s major topic is a review of pertinent literature. A literature review examines theoretical and methodological contributions to a specific subject, as well as the level of knowledge at the time of publication.
It gives information on the state of the art in regards to the topic you’re writing about. It explores the body of literature on the specified topic. This study’s literature examination includes the following:
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