THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION TRAINING OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract.

Business education is a program of study and an aspect of   vocational education program offered in both secondary and tertiary institutions of learning in Nigeria. This program is designed to equip the recipients with both academic and vocational skills needed for both salaried and self-employment as entrepreneurs.  Unfortunately, and ignorantly too, this course is being looked down on by students, parents and society in general, just like every other vocational education program. Students neglect Business education programme and are disenchanted about opting for it, especially at the tertiary institution level. Equally, parents believe that Business education is a course for dullards or for someone else’s child. They seldom encourage their children or wards to study it. The main aim of this piece of work is to highlight the meaning and objectives of Business education program and its importance to its recipients.  It also X-rays how Business education equips students for employment. It recommends among other things for a change of the general public’s attitude towards the course since it has capacity to reverse the unemployment challenge of Nigeria. It was concluded that parents should encourage their children and wards to study Business education if they are interested in it, because it will enable them to be job creators rather than job seekers.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.

Business education is widely recognized as an effective pivot for development of professional or skilled manpower in all aspect of commercial, industrial and managerial areas. Osuala (2004) stated that, the advent of business studies stresses the need of providing the youth with the educational experience which equips them with saleable skills and competencies. He added that, business studies is a vocational subject taught in junior secondary school in Nigeria aimed at providing youths who may proceed to senior secondary schoolto graduate with the necessary prevocational skills that will enable them to be useful to themselves and to the community in which they live. He said that school would equally be exposed to the educational experience that would give them comparative advantage in the world of work. The increasing interest about student’s perfofl1lance calls for identification of the place of business education and appraisal of business subject in educational system. However, (Olujuwon ,2010) note that series of factors affecting student’s academic performance include poor instructional quality, student’s negative attitude to school, overcrowded classrooms and poor facilities.NPE (2004) stated that, teachers are important in any educational system. This is because, the qualities of the system itself. Profession teachers: in particular, are crucial in the formulation of education policies in any country. According to Kochlar (2000), teacher is to guide the pupils by his percept and possess professional efficiency. Onifade (2010) stated that part from the failure of government atall levels to put in place facilities for teaching and learning at all secondary school level. The methods used by some teachers do not enhance the power of thinking and understanding the subject such as type writer, shorthand and accounting. Which are skill-oriented subjects requiring thinking and most importantly carefulness. Aliyu, (2001) noted that, traditionally shorthand and typewriting are designed skill subjects; performance in a skilled subject requires the application of the three (3) domains for learning, namely: the student’s cognitive, effective and the psychomotor respectively.

Nwanunobi (2010) viewed that, the problem of failure in examination goes beyond the student’s cognitive ability. The decaying infrastructure in most secondary is directly responsible for the problem. The laboratories are poorly equipped, even the physical infrastructure like classroom and libraries are nothing to write home about. So with these factors in place how go you expect the student to perform brilliantly in examination? It is just not possible. Kochhar (2000) stated that, the library is the hub of the academic life of a school. It is considered to be the intellectual laboratory of the school. It is also the pressure vault of ideas, the store house of knowledge and the flowing streams of living thoughts. However, Chean (2007) stressed that, the school library is the sole institution that provide children services but they are not adequately funded. Reading habit of children is low because not all children have access to books school may have some programmed for the children but the fact that the school library is not adequately funded; their wishes and aspiration will not go well. Aliyu (2001) stated that, a laboratory is considered essential which serve as the office practical room and for keeping of other machine available for learning. Most of the public secondary school are overcrowded as many as seventy (70) and above pupils, that of teaching in the classroom such as lecture and discussion methods while in vocational subject like business studies, these methods cannot be employed for effective teaching process. Kochhar (2000) also noted that furniture plays an extremely important part in the physical, moral and mental welfare of pupils as education is the cultivation of a first and legitimate familiarity between the mind and the things.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.

Student’s failure in business studies examination is among other disturbing development- to education sector in recent times. Based on the investigation carried out on 23rd September, 2011 on percentage performance of students in Doubeli Government Day Secondary School for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 JSCE results, revealedthe percentage failure as 63.2%, 51.4%, 49% and 54.2%respectively.Hence, there are students failures in public secondary schools and the failure may be as a result of inadequate qualified teachers, inadequate teaching and learning facilities, inadequate infrastructure, and poor method of teaching, non- completion of syllabus before examination and lack of confidence on the part of teachers and students.

The factors below contributes to failure of secondary school students in Business education training;

Lack of teachers in business studies affect the teaching and learning of business studies courses.

Lack of equipment a such as typewriters, computers and other pose problems in the teaching and learning of business studies.

Lack of interest in some business studies subjects due to internal and external influence.

Insufficient text books on business studies subjects in the school library bring about ineffective teaching and learning of business studies in secondary schools.

Thus, there is the need to address this problem on what can be done to halt the situation which if care is It is true that many public secondary schools have not been given much attention to the business subjects compared with the emphasis on science and vocational subjects. Thus, with reference to Yola North Local Government Area, Adamawa state, there is student’s failure in business studies examination in public secondary schools.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The aim of the research is to carry out an evaluation of Business Education resources available for teaching and learning in secondary schools in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. The objectives of this study are to:

1. Determine the available resources for teaching and learning business education subject in secondary schools in Moro local government area of Kwara State.
2. Ascertain the extent to which Secondary School students learning business education subject are influenced by the use of instructional materials.
3. Evaluate the state of resources available for the teaching of business education in Moro local government area of Kwara State.
4. Determine whether there is any difference in the academic performance of secondary schools students in business education subject due to the availability and use of instructional materials.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the following research questions were raised to guide the investigation:

1. What resources are available for teaching and learning of business education subject in secondary schools?
2. Which educational resources will influence the teaching and application of business education subject in secondary schools?
3. What is the state or condition of the available resources to teach and learn business education subject in secondary school?
4. Will there be any difference in the performance of secondary school students in business education subject due to the availability and effective use of instructional resources for teaching and learning?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses were tested for the study:

1. There is no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female teachers on the effectiveness of the use of instructional resources to teaching of business education subject.
2. There is no significant difference between the responses of experienced and inexperience teachers on the effective use of instructional resources on the teaching of business education subject.
3. There is no significant difference in the mean scores of public and private school teachers on the effective use of instructional resources suitable for teaching business education subject.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY.

Business education courses make a significant and vital contribution to the academic and career preparation of all students by providing rigorous and relevant courses of study aligned with the Common Core Standards. Below are the importance of business education training in secondary school students;

1. An academically prepared student possesses common core skills including: higher order thinking skills, analytical skills, essential computational skills, writing and reading skills, and technology skills.
2. A career ready person capitalizes on personal strengths, talents, education, and experiences to bring value to the workplace and the community through his/her performance, skill, diligence, ethics, and responsible behavior. A career ready person has explored various career options and is cognizant of the skills and education required.
3. A student that possesses essential life skills has sound personal finance and money management skills; understands the economic conditions that contribute to a sound economy and what it means to be globally competitive; understands and appreciates the free enterprise system; can use technology efficiently and effectively for personal and career use; and can apply skills learned to various personal and professional situations.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY.

The study focus on the importance of effective teaching-learning of business education training in secondary school students.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY.

The study is limited to secondary school students business education training.

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