AN EVALUATION ON THE CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING BUSINESS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

AN EVALUATION ON THE CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING BUSINESS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY:

Business Studies ought to be included on the list of social science subjects that, following elementary education, should be taught in all secondary schools in Nigeria, according to the National Policy on Education. There are numerous subdisciplines and subfields that make up the field of business studies. To put it another way, it is a mix of a lot of different courses; all the more explicitly, it is a blend of office practice, business, shorthand, typing, and accounting (Ekpenyong, 2019). At the Junior Secondary level, it is taught as an integrated subject. Shorthand, typewriting, economics, bookkeeping, and accounting, on the other hand, are the topics that are broken down into sections at the Senior Secondary level to give students more options for jobs. As reflected in the national policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1981) and the national curriculum for Junior Secondary School (J.S.S.) and Senior Secondary School (S.S.S.) (Federal Ministry of Education, 2017), the incorporation of Business Studies into the national curriculum has posed a significant obstacle for trainers of Business Studies teachers, particularly at the N.C.E. and undergraduate levels. This difficulty has arisen as a result of the introduction of Business Studies to the national curriculum. It is difficult to design programs that satisfy the following requirement, which is reflected in the vocational (S.S.S.) and provocation (J.S.S.) curricula: “Learning objectives,” “Spiral and Concentric Sequencing of Course Content,” and “Modular or Specific Competency Requirements” are all examples of knowledge integration.

The behaviorally oriented curricular patterns that emerged from the major components of the Business Studies curriculum that were previously described have been emphasized here, particularly at the J.S.S. level. Again, the units of instruction chosen have largely shaped the order in which the class covers the material. Spiral and concentric sequencing of the material that makes up each topic—for theory-based subjects like commerce and skill-based subjects like typewriting—have been used to accomplish this. However, efforts to achieve course objectives led to the definition of performance objectives, which, as explained by (Ekpenyong, 2019), are meant to encourage concepts, inquiry, learning, and utilization relatedness. Efforts to achieve course objectives led to the definition of these objectives.

The first significant effort to train N.C.E. teachers capable of meeting the curriculum structure and course objectives of the J.S.S. and S.S. Business Studies programs was initiated by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). The National Board for Technical Education took on this project (1987). Numerous components of the Business Studies curriculum offered by the National Business & Technical Educators (NBTE) were intended to prepare teachers for secondary school Business Studies instruction. For the first two years of the program, each student was required to study a common core topic. Modules were used to describe the courses, and the performance objectives for each module were made crystal clear. Students were given the third and final year to focus on either accounting or secretarial work as their area of concentration. However, when the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) took over the N.C.E curriculum from the NBTE in 1990, it decided to eliminate most of the N.C.E curriculum components that had been created by the latter. The course standards, the modular framework, and the goal declaration were all dropped (Ekpenyong, 2019). As a result, the fact that the National Commission for Colleges of Education’s Business Education curriculum does not include course outlines within the context of the syllabus may be viewed as a significant flaw in the curriculum. Instructors and experienced students looking for guidance in establishing acceptable class goals won’t likely find much use in this. The National Commission for the College of Education should be commended for its efforts to implement significant curriculum changes for business teachers. This is especially true of its plan to include new classes like information technology and entrepreneurship in its revised curriculum, which was to start in the 2002/2003 session. The National Commission for College of Education should be commended for its efforts despite the aforementioned flaws.

The significance of facilities to the overall success of any educational endeavor has never been disputed. Buremoh (2018), Olutola (2019), and Morphet and Roe (2017) all emphasize the importance of having sufficient training facilities available. The accessibility of practical preparation offices and hardware, for example, contemporary office machines as PCs, word processors and electronic typewriters, and office copiers, is totally vital for business educators training, similarly for what it’s worth for different sorts of specialized programs. Additionally, there is a pressing need for adequate storage and working space. Because of this, the design teams for accounting, commerce, word processing, and office management created a list of the minimum instructional equipment that would be required to provide quality instruction when developing the curriculum for teacher education.

Even though Oyedeji (2019) was unable to find a significant difference in the performance of Business Studies students who had adequate instructional equipment and those who did not, experience teaching business education shows that a lack of equipment can seriously impede student progress, especially in skill-based subjects. A major obstacle to the successful and efficient teaching of Business Studies at the Junior and Senior Secondary School levels is a lack of qualified employees. For a considerable amount of time, this has been recognized as a major factor. The structural imbalance that exists within the educational system can provide an explanation for the deplorable state of affairs regarding the insufficient supply of business professors (Aina, 2020). The consistently poor performance of the Business Studies department reflects these issues.

1.2 EXPOSITION OF THE PROBLEM:

As with teaching any other subject, difficulties in teaching business studies have been linked to a lack of instructional resources and, in some instances, instructors lacking the appropriate credentials. However, there are trained teachers in some schools who do not have access to the necessary learning resources. The teachers’ efforts are futile without these resources. In addition, there are times when a student or learner does not really care about the subject, which results in poor performance (Aina, 2020). It is essential to keep in mind that the manner in which the instructor teaches the material may render it boring to the students. This is because a skilled teacher who uses an ineffective method of instruction will produce unsatisfactory outcomes. Consequently, the goal of this study is to evaluate the challenges and potential advantages of teaching and studying business in secondary schools.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The study’s overarching objective is to assess the difficulties and opportunities associated with teaching and learning business studies in secondary schools. The following are the specific goals:

I. To inspect assuming foundations impacts the educating and learning of business studies.

ii. to determine whether students’ interest aids business studies instruction.

iii. to determine whether teaching business studies has a future.

iv. to investigate methods for enhancing business studies instruction and learning.

1.4 QUESTION FOR RESEARCH:

The study will be guided by the following research question.

i. Does infrastructures affect how business studies are taught and learned?

ii. Is student interest beneficial to business studies instruction?

iii. Is teaching business studies a viable option?

iv. How can the teaching and learning of business studies be enhanced?

1.5 The Importance of the Research:

The purpose of this study is to determine the reasons behind educators and researchers in the field of business studies’ low expectations for students’ academic performance in business studies. It will highlight the important qualities of teachers (qualification for using teaching and learning aids, control over the classroom, and personality in fostering a positive attitude among students toward Business Studies). Most importantly, this research will increase teachers’ understanding of the various challenges and opportunities associated with teaching business studies in secondary schools.

The academic community will also benefit from the study because it will add to the existing body of knowledge.

1.6 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH:

The purpose of the study is to see if infrastructures have an effect on how business studies are taught and learned. Additionally, the study will determine whether students’ interest enhances business studies instruction. The study will investigate whether the teaching of business studies has a future. The study will also look into ways to improve how business studies are taught and learned.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Like in any human endeavor, the researchers were subjected to a few limitations during the course of their research. The researcher chose a moderate sample size because insufficient funds typically hinder the researcher’s ability to find relevant materials, literature, or information and to collect data (via the internet, questionnaire, and interview). Plus, the researcher will be working on other academic projects at the same time on this study. As a consequence of this, less time will be spent on research.

1.8 DEFINITION OF THE TERMS:

Business: The study of how individuals organize to keep their collective productivity up so that specific creative and productive goals can be achieved (usually to generate profits).

Teaching: This simply refers to the process of influencing knowledge; it also refers to the process of instructing someone or making them aware of or capable of something.

The Obstacles: It is challenging to deal with or comprehend.

Prospect: It refers to the chances of success or the possibility of something happening.