WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT BUSINESS EDUCATION TEACHERS

WHO ARE NOT BUSINESS EDUCATORS?

BY

ANOZIE, PATIENCE UKAMAKA

REG. NO

Introduction

The Federal Government has again demonstrated its awareness of the need
for adequately trained teachers in various fields at the tertiary level. The
justification is government massive investment in the funding and management of
tertiary level educational institutions. Teaching effectiveness is required for these
institutions to be able to justify the huge investment in them. On the part of
individual students and parents, they too cannot ask for less. The time, energy,
money and risk it takes for students to pass through the institution make it
necessary for them to receive only the best of training from teachers that have
capacity from their various area or specializations (Ikediegwu, 2003).

One cannot be sure of the number of students that would attend lectures of
textbooks were abundantly available and they were told that the lectures would be
conducted through dictation of notes. More effective methods need to be adopted
in teaching students and only professional trained teachers in various areas can
choose the most appropriate method from an array of methods for a given learning
task and environments. We may be dealing with known facts but we have to put
life into the facts in our teaching to make them take roots in the minds of our
students (1997).

Obiechina (1987) called for constant exposure of lecturers to newer and

more effectual teaching techniques. A person who is not well trained or grounded
in his/her area merely repeats the methods through which he or she received
institution. Such a system makes education a conservative rather than progressive
process. Thus, since there has been a major orientation in the focus of institution in
tertiary institution, all those who by virtue of lack of professional training in their
areas are not well placed to operate effectively under the new dispensation deserve
to be trained or retrained.

Therefore in business education programme, there are business education

teachers who are not pure business educators just like what qualifies one to become
an accountant, a lawyer, a medical doctor, an engineer, a pilot, an architect, a
geologist, a botanist. There are many interlopers in the field of business education
in Nigeria. Anybody who teaches one of the courses in general business, business
studies, skill or non – skill business educators. In this study, we look at a way
forward to solve this problem.

Business Education Programme

Business education like any other educational programme holds the key to
individual and national development. It is a programme targeted at developing in
students, life skills for economic success, provide information and communication
technology skills, broaden educational opportunities, help students develop skills
and attitudes for career success, help learners acquire global business knowledge,
encourage creativity and innovation in entrepreneurial thinking (ABEN, 2020).
Omemgboji and Nzekwe (2015) viewed business education as a course that could
create wealth and income and generate economic growth and development.

In the submission of Amesi and Allison (2020)

Business education in Nigeria is designed to serve as a

platform for producing skilled business teachers, office
 administrators and business men and women that can
effectively compete in the world of work and in the
enterprises as employees, entrepreneurs and as
employers.

This explanation corroborates Calhoun and Finch’s opinion expressed in

ABEN (2020) which described business education as education that equips the
students with skills necessary to perform particular function in an office and will
provide them with the understanding and knowledge needed for conducting
personal affairs and for using the service of the business world.

In Nigeria, business education is regarded as a specific course of study or a

branch of knowledge offered at the college and university levels. Primery emphasis
should be placed on special methods of teaching business subjects, rather than on
skill subject of typewriting and shorthand. According to Osuala (2004), the
curriculum of business education consists of:

i. General education component

ii. General business subject component
iii. Secretarial component
iv. Marketing and distributive subjects
v. Professional educational subjects
vi. Accounting component
vii. Teaching practice and students Industrial work expensive schemes (SIWES)

Business education is not the same with General Business or Business

Studies even though Business Education may be offered in the Department of
Business Studies. Under business studies, emphasis is placed on management of
functions rather than on teaching methods. A graduate of business studies,
management, accounting marketing, secretarial administration without a
professional education component is not a business educator. He is merely
regarded as a, business teacher or technical instructor, depending on his/ her level
of education.

Business Education enables the specialist to teach general business subjects

as well as other components. In some universities and colleges and colleges of
education, business education may be offered as, adult education programme either
in the Department of Vocational Technical Education or in the Department of
continuing and vocational education. The mission of business education at the
universities and colleges of education level is to train the necessary manpower for
industry, business and public and private business establishments. According to
Osuala (2004),

Business education opens various career opportunities to

its graduates namely teaching in schools at various
levels: junior and senior secondary schools, colleges of
education, universities (depending on the level of degree
certificates, post degree certificates or other certificates
obtained), working in commerce and the public sector of
the economy, undergoing advanced studies in business
taking up management programme for industries and
business.

From the aforementioned discourse, the qualities of business educator can

now be streamlined thus:

Qualities of Business Educator

1. A business Educator is a person who is knowledgeable in the seven
components that make up a business education progamme namely:
i. Knowledgeable in general education component
ii. Knowledgeable in General business subject component
iii. Knowledgeable in Secretarial component
iv. Knowledgeable in Marketing and distributive subjects
v. Knowledgeable in Professional educational subjects
vi. Knowledgeable in Accounting component
vii. Knowledgeable in Teaching practice and students Industrial work
expensive schemes (SIWES)
2. Any person with the following certificates is a business education namely:
i. Ph.D in Business Education
ii. Ph.D in Accounting Business Management, Marketing, Commerce
and Co-operative, Banking and Finance, Secretarial Technology,
Public Administration, Insurance, in addition to Education (e.g.
PGDE, NCE)
iii. M.Ed, M.Sc.Ed, in Business Education
iv. M.Sc., MBA in the fields listed in 2 (ii) above in addition to
Education (e.g. PGDE, NCE)
v. B.Sc., Ed, BED in business Education
vi. B.Sc., HND in the fields listed in 2 (ii) above in addition to
Education (e.g. P.G.D.E, NCE)
vii. NCE in Business Education
viii. OND in the fields listed in 2 (ii) above in addition to Education (e.g.
P.G.D.E, NCE).
3. Any person who plays the following roles is a business educator:
 a. Role in making business education viable and visible in the
community e.g. proprietors of commercial secondary schools
b. Role of agent of change in Business Education
c. Role in delivering high quality business education programme that is
equal to any academic offering in the school system. Example Private
Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Vocational
Institutes.
d. Role to identify problems facing learning and teaching in Business
Education subjects and is able to speculate solution to these
problems. Example, Heads of Department of Business Education in
Universities and Colleges of Education (Dame, 2021)

Objectives of Business Education

According to Nanassey (1976) in Adukwu (2003), the aim of business

Education include:

i. Contribution to the national educational objectives of all round development

of the individual
ii. Providing the individual an understanding of the economy of his society
iii. Equipping the beneficiary to be an intelligent participant in the commercial
activities of his society
iv. Providing the individual skills development with a view to attaining
employability
v. Developing entrepreneurships in beneficiaries
vi. Providing entry qualification for higher educational effort and
vii. The training of citizens to be well – mannered members of the society
Importance for Business Education to the Nation

Business education is important to the nation because more people would

have skills that can make them ready employers of labour. Dependence on the
nation would be minimized as people become job creators.

As people develop proper values towards work they tend to contribute more
economically to the nation. For instance, the nation is divorced from violence,
sexual immorality, pride, corruption and examination malpractice among others.
As individuals citizens become judicious spenders, the country gains by way of
investing excess resources on meaningful projects that would lead to economic
development. Today, we are talking about poor infrastructural facilities in our
educational and health system, this can be avoided if we spend wisely.

If one understands ones right as a citizen of a country and enforces them, the
country would have less to worry about, but would rather devote more times and
resources on development. If citizens of a country develop sound moral value then
the country will be free from insecurity and peace will reign supreme. More people
will invest in the country and there will be increase in growth and development.
Business education has made it possible for those who want to be retrained in order
to upgrade their skills and have access to education. In this way, people who finish
secondary grammar school with no salable opportunity skills will have to acquire
skills that make them become functional through retraining programme (Ajiste,
2015).

From the points raised here it is important to embrace business education

because it prepares a person for the world of work. Firstly, this graduates are free
to take up teaching and secondly, to become a business man or
woman/entrepreneur
The Importance of Training Business Educators

In the foregoing the role and the importance of business education had been
emphasized. Considering the enormous role of this discipline there is need for all
the teachers to be full fledge business educators. There is no need for half baked.
Training and retraining of business educators will enhance efficiency, effectiveness
and perfection in vocational skill acquisition. Andrewin (2001) defined training as
the process of instrument delivery and learning, be it formal or informal to improve
knowledge and development of skills. Training is the process of being impart
knowledge of certain skills.

Aransiola (2011) opined that the goals of training business education

teachers to be business educators are:

1. To provide upgrading training for business education teachers already on

occupation to improve their knowledge and skills in that position.
2. To provide retraining of business education teachers those job assigned
changes with time and
3. To provide more training programmes and packages for other related or
needed skills to the business education teachers.

Onuekwa (2014) stated that the functions of business education lecturers

have become much broader in recent times. Onuekwa also opined that the business
educators responsibility for teaching functions and roles require certain skills that
enable them perform effectively in their daily classroom deviates motivating,
planning and thereby solving the problem of students. Business education lecturers
professionally train individuals who stimulate guide, direct and motivate others to
perform better. The retraining will also give business education lecturers the ability
to inspire and motivate the students to meet global vocational/business challenges.
Onuekwa (2014) stated also that today’s ever – advancing technological world of
work requires special training and skills, which would enable business education
lectures to fit into modern teaching conditions.

The functions of business education lecturers in the recent times have

expanded. Therefore, business education lecturers are expected to be true educators
to enhance their capacity in vocational /business skills. Today’s competitive global
trends posed many interesting challenges to business education lecturers. Most of
them find it difficult to use certain vocational skills. Business education lecturers
are expected to acquire new technological skills as to enable duties and impact
such knowledge to their students. Morton (2012) listed new technologies which
business lecturers should acquire, they are power point (slide presentation)
dogging, mobile devices screen casting augmented and vertical reality, comp.
(concept mapping) twister, vias etc. business education teachers being pure
educators is an essential means through which they can improve on their previous
knowledge thereby making them more productive. It also enables them to perform
effectively as well as versatile in skill utilization. Pauline (2013) asserted that all
teachers requires continuing support once they reach the classroom to enable them
to reflect teaching practices to foster motivation and to help them adapt to change
such as using a new curriculum or language of instruction. This will also provide
teachers with new ideas about how to support weak learners.

According to Al – Zoubi (2010) here are some of the benefit of having full
fledged business educators in our business education programme

- It helps to upgrade teachers skills, knowledge and performance

- It helps them to be more effective
- To re-orientate teachers to new goals and values
 - It helps to train teachers in new teaching and learning methods.
- To prepare them to cope with curriculum change
- It provide them with the knowledge and skills to teach new learning areas
- It helps to improve employees morale, attitude and commitment to an
organization

From the above, it is very important for education planners and policy
implementers to appreciate the need to ensure that all business teachers are pure
business educators. This will enable them fit into the new demands of education
today. It is therefore the duties of the business teachers to make themselves
available to improve on their capacity building and development

Conclusion

Based on the foregoing discussion, business education teachers should be

pure business educators. Certainly, the 21st century is characterized by global
standard. Therefore business educators should be able to meet the needs of
student’s business organizations and society as facilitators, collaborators, inventors
and professional developers.

Recommendations

1. Business education lecturers that are not pure business educators should
endeavour to go into training to update their knowledge and certification
2. These lecturers or teachers should be attending business education seminars,
conferences in order to align themselves with process and procedure of
teaching business education courses.
3. ABEN, the national body should make a policy statement to ensure that all
business education teachers are pure business educators.
4. Every institution offering business education programme in the universities
and colleges of education should organize annually in house seminars to
encourage the students to embrace and be attracted more to business
education programme
5. Currently embergo should be placed in employing those who are not
business educators in business education programmes in our universities and
colleges of education
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