CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Business studies are integrals part of general education that is concerned with education for business and education about business. Business studies can be traced from the time when commercial secondary modern school were established in some part of the country and commercial subject such as typewriting shorthand commerce principle of account and the use of English were being offered at the moment in the secondary schools in the country, Sakkle, (2012).
Some years back, government policy on education was indebted to train more business personnel, so that business subject can be introduced in the secondary school curriculum, with the aim of providing capable and competent hands to handle the finances and administration of the country. The national policy on education NPE (2004) revised edition stipulated that business studies should be taught at pre – vocational level in the secondary schools, like wise business education subject schools, like wise business education subject are being taught in tertiary institutions such as College of Education College of Technology, Polytechnics and in Universities. Business Studies is a subject which provides us with the knowledge, understanding and skills needed for productive work or activity. Maxwell, (2014), productive activity involves using business resources to make goods and services that satisfy human needs and wants. Business studies can also be regarded as the study of the methods and techniques of setting up and running a business venture profitably.
The primary purpose of teaching at any level of education is to bring a fundamental change in the learner (Tebabal and Kahssay, 2011). To facilitate the process of knowledge transmission, teachers should apply appropriate teaching methods that best suit specific objectives and level exit outcomes. In the traditional epoch, many teaching practitioners widely applied teacher-centered methods to impart knowledge to learners comparative to student-centered methods. Until today, questions about the effectiveness of teaching methods on student learning have consistently raised considerable interest in the thematic field of educational research (Hightower, 2011). Moreover, research on teaching and learning constantly endeavour to examine the extent to which different teaching methods enhance growth in student learning.
Education is the key that opens other doors of development and it is the teacher that hold the key to the door of education. The importance of teachers in educational development of any cannot be overemphasized. According to the National Policy on Education (1981) states that “No educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers”. Teaching is one of the oldest profession in the world hence, everybody sees to engage in its because of the simple definition often given to it.
Akinpelu (2012) defines teaching as the conscious deliberate effort by a mature or experience person to impact information, knowledge, skills to any immature or less experience person with the intention that the latter will learn or come to believe that he is taught on good ground. Teaching represent various activities undertaken by a more experience and more knowledgeable persons to influence the behaviour of the other persons. Bell-Gam (2008) posited that there are number of activities in the classroom which may be called teaching. For instance, writing on the blackboard for students to copy, classroom discussion between the teacher and his student etc.
Thus, for any activities to be called teaching. Akinpelu (2012) argued that it must be done in a way that is pedagogically sound and acceptable. In modern Nigeria, that is a vulgar rush by the students for professions like medicine, engineering, law and accounting. Similarly, those already in this profession are striving hard to make them more attractive and there is that element of pride and self- identification among members of above professions.
Teaching is an old profession for centuries the teachers has been a reverend individual, a person seen to possess ability to impart knowledge on others. Business education has been in existence in the traditional Africa society but it was not institutionalized. Knowledge of any occupational area was usually acquired through apprenticeship system until recently when it was institutionalized in Nigeria. However, as the nation moved towards a scientific and technological advancement, it becomes necessary for more people to be involved in the industries and the only way the need manpower can be achieved is through education.
Education is universally recognized as a good thing, hence nation spend large part of their budget to provide education to their citizens. It is a common knowledge that individual differs in their level of academic attainment motivation and educational needs. For these reason, variety of educational provisions are made with a view to meet varies and. In Nigeria context, the national policy of education (FRN, 2004 revised) provides for educational structure which is meant and business courses junior and secondary school curriculum. The national policy on education (2004) noted the need for the acquisition of appropriate skills, ability to the development of the society.
Business education is seen as education that prepares youth and adult for employment in a specific occupation of family occupation by providing experience which enables them to develop competencies needed to perform the duties and functions for such employment. Business education student’s teacher learnt the profession (Wenrich and Wenrich, 2011) which help to train youth for employment in industries commerce and other enterprises by exposing them to experiences which provide them manipulative, informational and attitudinal skills. This types of education also trains adults who are already employed and whose skills may have become absolute, and requires either and an update of skills in his occupational or a retaining in other occupations. In this context, the type of business education students teachers programmed made available to youths and must be relevant to other needs and the needs for the occupation.
According to Ryaner and Herman (2014) occupational courses need to help graduates to function effectively, both on graduation in the foreseeable future by reflecting on the present and future needs to the occupational area. It also emphasizes the provision of graduates with the principles and problem solving procedures which will allows them to adjust to the changes occurring in their occupational area.
The goal of business education as derived from the central tenet of democracy and from a common and deep appreciation of the value of dignity of work include the following: to prepare the learner for entry into employment and advance in his chosen career, to meet the manpower needs of the society, to increase the options available to each students, to serve as a motivating force to enhance all types of learning, to achieve these learners to wisely select a career. To achieve these goals, various business education courses in the system of education, despite the fact that there are shortage of professional trained business education teachers, the few available ones would be business teachers that show a negative attitude towards the profession thereby learning it to suffer from lack of professional teachers in the area.
In launching the send national development plan (2010) the federal republic of Nigeria attribute high dropout rate in secondary school to poor quality of teaching. This general public also blamed the falling standard of education on non-devotion to duty on the part of teachers so the government realized the importance of business teachers therefore committed to the improvement and expansion of business educational training programmed and conditions of services for business education teachers in the country. In this effort to change the attitude of a service teacher towards the teaching profession.
Attitude according to Aluaex (2012) means a behaviour which is regulated, filled with emotions varying in intensity and generally accorded to the specific situation over which they apply. He observed that such attitudes is learned to form a component of the characteristics trait of interest, appreciation like, dislike, opinions, values and ideas of an individual.
There are general poor attitude of teachers towards the teaching profession. Several reasons have been adduced to this, it is not surprising however that the society today has little or no esteem for teachers. This is because teaching is saddled with a lot of problems, the motivation of fulfilling the function of teachers in the classroom is depressed by this low esteem persons realizing low prestige and reward from their occupation direct the energies and interest away from fulfilling their occupational function towards for instance, activities designed to enhance their economic substances.
It is also observed that the poor public images of teachers as compared with those of other professions other discouraging reasons students teachers have for detesting the profession. Some of them also get scared of facing large class that contain an average of seventy pupils or more in an effective teaching and learning process. Moreover, for the fact that the teacher’s salary is so small that it is hardly sufficient for him to pay monthly bills it is not even regularly paid this make his morale to be low. Hence, this present study intends to examine attitudes of Business studies teachers towards teaching of Business Studies in senior secondary schools in Odigbo local government area of Ondo state.
Statement of the Problem
For Nigerian to attain technological progress and excellence, it requires devoted training of business education teachers, specifically for the challenging competition in 21st century. Business education teachers that are undergoing training must develop and have the characteristics, traits, interests, attitude, to be able to teach effectively in a challenging environment.
It is generally observed that students prefer to choose other professions than teaching upon graduation. In view of the foregoing, it appears pertinent therefore to assess the attitude of Business education teachers towards teaching profession. A persons attitude is reflected in his/her perception and cognition which in turn can be inferred determinant of any action of people, objectives, ideas, or any other concept within a psychological field is the established attitude to teach them the statement of the problem is that there is lack of research evidence regarding business education students teachers attitude towards teaching profession in senior secondary schools. The knowledge derived from his study will go to their interest, gender, attitude, age and other characteristics traits.
Purpose of the study
The main objective of this study is to investigate the attitudes of Business studies teachers towards teaching of Business Studies in senior secondary schools in Odigbo local government area of Ondo state. Specifically, the study intends to:
1. Find out the factors responsible for attitudes of Business studies teachers towards teaching Business Studies in junior secondary schools.
2. Determine the factors responsible for poor performances of students in Business Studies in junior secondary schools.
3. Ascertain how the teaching and learning of Business Studies can be improved in junior secondary schools.
Significance of the Study
This study will provide information to our educational planner on some factors which can constitute obstacles in the achievement of the aims and objectives of business education. This study will also provide necessary guidelines which will be helpful in eliminating some of the factors which frustrate business education teachers towards teaching profession.
The problems of getting as a career as one who is becoming acceptable as higher school graduate while some see teaching as a waiting room for better job. The study will be contributing to educational knowledge regarding the various factors affecting students of education view towards teaching profession. To make students aware that teaching profession is for those that are academically worn, but for the intellectuals in the society.
The knowledge of those factors will be helpful to counsellors, parents and those who come to remedy of the problem facing teaching in the society.
The following research questions were carried out in this study. The information provided in this study will be helpful to state ministry of education embracing on free education and federal government plans for its qualitative free and functional educational programme.
This study help to encourage students to choose career in teaching profession as it was stated in the national policy of education (1981) that teacher like other profession will be legally and publicly recognized as a profession.
Scope of Study
This study was limited to junior secondary schools in Odigbo local government area of Ondo state. Sampled Business studies teachers in the secondary school formed the sampled population.
Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide the study:
1. What are the factors responsible for attitudes of teachers towards teaching of Business Studies in junior secondary schools?
2. What are the factors responsible for the performances of students in Business Studies in junior secondary schools?
3. How can teaching and learning of Business Studies be improved in junior secondary schools?
Definition of Terms
The following terms are operationally defined for the study;
Attitude: An enduring feeling towards an individual objects a solid institution or group. Predisposition to perceive behaviour towards specific object or certain people in a particular manner.
Interest: This is the condition of wanting to know or learn about something.
Profession: This is an occupation with high status made up of highly trained exerts performing highly specialized role in the society which some others do or cannot perform.
Motivation: Motivation means that willingness to do something without needing to be forced to do it.
Interest: curiosity to know or learn more about something.
Teaching: This is a systematic means of promoting learning.
Student teachers: A learner who is undergoing the process of becoming a teacher.
Teacher: This is a person who is trained to inform, educate, and train a group of people.
Teacher Education: This is an institutionalized procedure through which teacher are trained.
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