Challenges Of Implementation Of Business Studies Curriculum In Public 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 students and 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

Economic development of any society refers to the ability of the society to improve the lives of its people in terms of human capital, economy, social improvement, democracy building, among others (Olawolu 2015). Education is obviously the basic instrument of economic growth and technological advancement of any society, it is in recognition of this fact that governments commit immense resources to ensure the provision of education for their citizens and also tailored their policies towards ensuring that it is made accessible to the generality of their citizenry (Oyebade, Adebayo & Okonji 2016). However, business studies is an essential element of this general education. It is concerned with the impartation of business orientation and knowledge for personal and national development.

Business is any activity performed or service rendered which provide goods or services to satisfy human needs and desires. Olatunji (2015) asserted that it should be noted that any business activity must be legal and must bring a reward or profit.  The goods and services provided in any business activity must result in the provision of tangible or intangible goods. Tangible goods are products you can see physically or hold e.g biro, shoes, dresses etc while intangible goods are what cannot be seen or touch, it involves service rendered by teachers, doctors, engineer, etc.

Olatunji (2015) further stated 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.

Therefore, business studies continuously builds on the knowledge, skills, values and attitude learnt at the lower phases of education, Abdulkadir (2016). 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.

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. 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 (Ogwuog0, 15). 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, 2016).

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, 2015). 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, 2015). However, business studies curriculum is relevant in economic development of any nation because it is believed that the richest people in the world are business minded people, because their help to reduce unemployment in the society and business studies program helps to build students who will in turn make use of their vocational skills instead of waiting for white collar jobs after graduation and by so doing, will either become an entrepreneurs or employers of labour which will help in the economic development of the nation. The implementation of business studies curriculum seems to have certain impediments. This has affected the effectiveness of teachers in the implementation process 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.

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

Significance of the Study

The findings of the study would 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 will 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 can 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 will 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 will help them to understand the relevance and challenges of business studies curriculum and this will help them to acquire the relevant skills to overcome the challenges of business studies curriculum in schools.

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.

Based on the study it is restricted to determine the challenges responsible for implementing business studies curriculum in public secondary schools which include; unqualified business studies teachers, use of obsolete technologies, poor funding from both the school administrator and the government among other. Business studies teachers only were used for the study.

Pages:  60

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.