Challenges of Implementation of Business Studies Curriculum in Public Junior Secondary Schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State

Challenges of Implementation of Business Studies Curriculum in Public Junior Secondary Schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State

ABSTRACT

          This study examined the challenges of implementation of business studies curriculum in public secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. Three research questions guided the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of thirty-one (31) business studies teachers in all the 13 public secondary schools in Asaba, Delta state. Due to the manageable nature of the population, all the thirty-one (31) business studies teachers from the 13 public secondary schools in Asaba were used for the study. Hence, there was no sampling. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire, which was structured by the researcher by a lecturer in Accounting Education Department and one lecturer in Educational Measurement and Evaluation. 31 Copies of the questionnaires were administered teachers in the all the 13 public secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State by the researcher with the help of 2 research assistants, 30 were retrieved and analyzed using mean statistics. On the basis of the analysis, it was found among others that inadequate funding, qualification of teachers and non-usage of technologies affects the effective implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that government should ensure that adequate funds made available in public junior secondary schools to facilitate the implementation of Business Studies curriculum and trained and competent teachers should be employed to teach business studies for effective implementation of the curriculum. 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of any society, and the curriculum serves as the blueprint for imparting knowledge and skills to learners. In the realm of secondary education, the business studies curriculum stands as a key component, designed to equip students with practical insights into the business world and essential life skills. Olatunji (2018)

Business studies, often simply called business, is a field of study that deals with the principles of business, management, and economics. It combines elements of accountancy, finance, marketing, organizational studies, human resource management, and operations (Olatunji, 2018). Olatunji (2018), added that business studies can therefore be seen as an academic subject that embraces areas such as accounting, marketing and economics.” Mostly, business study is the study at an academic level of how businesses operate in the various global marketplaces, both at a practical and theoretical level. Business studies is a broad subject, where the range of topics is designed to give the student a general overview of the various elements of running a business. The teaching of business studies is known as business education. Business studies is one of the subjects captured in the 9-years basic curriculum to be covered at the upper basic (junior secondary school) level (Oyebade, Adebayo & Okonji 2016). Business studies continuously builds on the knowledge, skills, values and attitude learnt at the lower phases of education (Abdulkadir (2017). Ugwuogo (2015) went further to state that business studies which encompasses several disciplines enables people to think, speak and behave in ways that support the growth, efficiency and effectiveness of an organization or several organizations. Thus, the demand for business studies is on the increase all over the world as it prepares youths to be responsible and self-dependent individuals, who become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers by exposing them in real life experience where they will be required to think, take risks, manage circumstances and incidentally learn from the outcome (Olawolu & Kaegon, 2019). Business studies as a discipline is expected to expose its recipients to diversity curricula, hence, it is that type of education that inculcate in its recipients’ attitudes, knowledge, skills, values that is required in the business world (Okoli, 2020).

The term curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program. Curriculum is often defined as the courses offered by a school, but it is rarely used in such a general sense in schools. Depending on how broadly educators define or employ the term, curriculum typically refers to the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn, which includes the learning standards or learning objectives they are expected to meet; the units and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and projects given to students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings used in a course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning (Ogwuogo, 2018). An individual teacher’s curriculum, for example, would be the specific learning standards, lessons, assignments, and materials used to organize and teach a particular course. The curriculum defines the educational foundations and contents, their sequencing in relation to the amount of time available for the learning experiences, the characteristics of the teaching institutions, the characteristics of the learning experiences, in particular from the point of view of methods to be used, the resources for learning and teaching (e.g. textbooks and new technologies), evaluation and teachers’ profiles (Kaegon, 2017).

Curriculum is a standards-based sequence of planned experiences where students practice and achieve proficiency in content and applied learning skills (Ogwuogo, 2018). Curriculum is the central guide for all educators as to what is essential for teaching and learning, so that every student has access to rigorous academic experiences. A curriculum is a set of courses or subjects that are taught in a school, college, or university. It is a plan that outlines what students will learn and how they will be assessed. The term curriculum is often used interchangeably with syllabus, but the two are not the same. While a syllabus is a detailed outline of a single course, a curriculum is a broader framework that encompasses all the courses offered by an institution. Factors such as funding, teachers’ qualification and non-usage of technology.

Funding refers to the provision of financial resources or capital to support a person, organization, project, or activity. It involves the allocation of money to meet specific needs, achieve goals, or enable the execution of plans. Funding can refer to the money individuals use to meet their personal financial needs, including expenses like housing, education, healthcare, and entertainment. In the business world, funding typically involves the capital required to start, operate, or expand a business. It can come from various sources, such as loans, investments from shareholders, venture capital, or government grants (Okoli, 2020). Governments allocate funding for various programs and services, including infrastructure projects, education, healthcare, and social welfare. Individuals and organizations may provide funding through investments in stocks, bonds, real estate, or other financial instruments with the expectation of a return on investment.

On the other hand, teachers’ qualifications refer to the educational and professional requirements that individuals must meet to become educators in a formal educational setting. These qualifications ensure that teachers have the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to effectively educate and support students. Qualifications for teachers can vary by country, state, or educational institution, but some common elements include:  Teachers typically need a minimum level of education, such as a bachelor’s degree in education or a specific subject area. In some cases, a master’s degree may be required or preferred (Abdulkadir, 2017). Teachers must have a deep understanding of the subjects they teach. This may involve completing coursework in the subject area, passing subject-specific exams, or having a degree in the relevant field. Practical experience, such as student teaching or classroom observation, is often a component of teacher preparation programs.

Similarly, technologies refer to the application of scientific knowledge and engineering principles to create tools, devices, systems, and solutions that improve and simplify various aspects of human life (Okoh, 2018). In a broad sense, technologies are the products of the systematic use of knowledge for practical purposes. They can be physical devices, software applications, processes, or methods designed to achieve specific goals or solve particular problems. The evolution of technologies has played a significant role in shaping the way people communicate, work, learn, and live. Examples of technologies include computers, smartphones, medical devices, renewable energy systems, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and many more. The term “technology” is often used in a plural form to acknowledge the diverse and constantly evolving nature of the tools and innovations that make up the technological landscape (Okoli, 2020). Non-usage of technology has the ability to affect the effective implementation of Business Studie curriculum. Hence, the study is carried out to investigate the challenges of implementing business studies curriculum in public junior secondary school in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Statement of the Problem 

Business studies is a curriculum of instruction that equips recipients with the requisite attributes for job creation and further education. Therefore, business studies being a vocational and technical education has an immense relevance to the economic development of any society because it teaches the students how to become an entrepreneur after school which will help reduce the unemployment rate in the society and improve the economic development of that society.

Despite the relevance of business studies in equipping students with the basic business skills, the implementation of its curriculum is faced with a whole lot of challenges. Teachers seem to find it difficult in ensuring the full implementation of the designed curriculum especially at the public junior secondary schools. This has kept people wondering what the challenges could be. Could it be as a result of inadequate funding? Could teachers’ qualification or modern technology be the factors affecting the effective implementation of Business studies curriculum? Many questions come to mind as to the factors affecting the implementation of business studies curriculum. It is against this backdrop that this carried out to ascertain the challenges of implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Research Questions     

The following research questions were used for the study:

1. To what extent does funding affect the implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State?
2. To what extent does qualification of teachers affects the implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State?
3. To what extent does use of technologies affect the implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State?

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of this study is to investigate Challenges of Implementation of Business Studies Curriculum in Public Junior Secondary Schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. Determine the extent to which funding affect the implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State.
2. Determine the extent to which qualification of teacher affects the implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State.
3. Examine the extent to which use of technologies affects the implementation of business studies curriculum in public junior secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State.

Significance of the Study

The findings of the study could be of immense benefit to business educators, school administrators, the government and business studies students.

The outcome of the research could be of great benefit to the business educators because it could enable them to become aware of the relevance and challenges of business studies curriculum,

It could on the other hand help school administrator to be able to understand specific problems which relate to the students of business studies in improving the economic development of the society in which their live, after which the school administrators could be able to plan further strategies for solution to the problems of business studies curriculum in economic development.

This study could be of huge benefit to the government, it will enable them to see the relevance of business studies curriculum in school and understand how poor funding affect business studies curriculum. They could in turn provide solution to it by providing the necessary materials and help in funding the school curriculum.

This research could be of great benefit to student because it could help them to understand the relevance and challenges of business studies curriculum and this could help them to acquire the relevant skills to overcome the challenges of business studies curriculum in schools.

Limitation of the Study

The study cannot be used to generalize to the entire nation because it was limited to the challenges of implementation of business studies curriculum in public secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. The small sample size of the study and use of only public junior secondary schools are sources of limitation to this study.

Scope of the study:

The scope of the study focuses on challenges of implementing business studies curriculum in public secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State. With funding, qualification and s use of technologies as variables of interest. Respondents of the study are Business Studies teachers in all the 13 public secondary schools in Asaba, Delta state.