Why Do Teaching and Learning Business Studies in South African Rural High Schools Face Challenges?
Keywords:
Teaching and Learning; Rural Schools; Challenges; Professional Development; Curriculum Delivery
Abstract
This study discursively explored the challenges of teaching Business Studies as a subject in Grade 12 in various rural South African secondary schools. The study further discussed diverse strategies that can be employed to enhance the teaching and learning of Business Studies in grade 12. Business Studies is one of the subjects offered in secondary schools across South African schools. The subject is also necessary for careers in business-related programmes/qualifications in higher education institutions. The authors discussed the concept of Business Studies as a school subject, the challenges of teaching and learning Business Studies in schools, and strategies to enhance the teaching and learning of the subject. The subject provides a good foundation for learners, who want to take careers in business or commerce-related jobs. Hence, the subject is critical to learners’ admission into higher education institutions, for the qualifications in business and commerce-related careers. Lack of qualified teachers, inadequate professional development, lack of adequate and necessary learning and teaching support materials, overcrowding of learners in classrooms, and learners' lack of interest; are some of the challenges. The study recommends the provision of adequate resource materials to rural schools, as well as the capacitation of Business Studies teachers., among other recommendations.
References
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Mlachila, M. M., & Moeletsi, T. (2019). Struggling to make the grade: A review of the causes and consequences of the weak outcomes of South Africa’s education system.
Ogbonnaya, U. I., & Awuah, F. K. (2019). Quintile Ranking of Schools in South Africa and Learners' Achievement in Probability. Statistics Education Research Journal, 18(1), 106-119.
Oke, A., & Fernandes, F. A. P. (2020). Innovations in teaching and learning: Exploring the perceptions of the education sector on the 4th industrial revolution (4IR). Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(2), 31.
Post, C., Sarala, R., Gatrell, C., & Prescott, J. E. (2020). Advancing theory with review articles. Journal of Management Studies, 57(2), 351-376.
Sarfraz, M., Khawaja, K. F., & Ivascu, L. (2022). Factors affecting business school students’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated and mediated model. The International Journal of Management Education, 20(2), 100630.
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Sithole, B.M. & Lumadi, M.W. (2013). Improvisation and the Use of Community Resources in Business Studies Teaching. Journal of Social Sciences, 32(1), 1-7.
Warui, I.J., (2015) Challenges facing Teaching and Learning of Integrated Business Studies in day secondary schools in Kirinyaga West District, Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research, 3 (2), 24-38.
Zenda, R. (2020). Impact of the learner-educator ratio policy on learner academic achievement in rural secondary schools: A South African case study. Africa Education Review, 17(3), 37-51.
Adom, D., Hussein, E.K & Agyem, J.A. (2018). Theoretical and Conceptual Framework: Mandatory ingredients of a quality Research. International Journal of Scientific Research, 7 (1), 67-78.
Adom, D., Yeboah, A & Ankrah, A.T (2016). Constructivism Philosophical Paradigm: Implication for Research, teaching, and Learning.Global Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences,4 (2),20-31.
Ahmed, Z. (2015). Failure Associated with Teaching and Learning of Associated Business Studies in Public Secondary Schools in Yola North L.G.A Adawama. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, (17), 38-44.
Ajani O.A. (2019). Effective Teachers’ Cluster System as an Approach to Enhanced Classroom Practices in South African High Schools,Journal of Gender,Information and Development in Africa,8 (1),173-193.
Ajani O. A. (2019b). Understanding Teachers as Adult Learners in Professional Development Activities for Enhanced Classroom Practices. AFFRIKA Journal of Politics, Economics, and Society, 9(2), 195-208. https://doi.org/10.31920/2075-6534/2019/9n2a10.
Ajani O.A. & Govender, S. (2018). Using Clusters System as an Effective Teachers’ Professional Development for Improved Instructional Development. Gender & Behaviour. 16(3), 11963-11969.
Ajani, O. A. (2020). Teachers’ professional development in South African high schools: how well does it suit their professional needs? African Journal of Development Studies, 10(3), 59.
Ajani, O. A. (2021). Exploring the teacher professional development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: In pursuit of social justice.Journal of Research Innovation and Implication in Education,5(2),101-109.
Ajani, O. A. (2022). Exploring the teacher professional development activities: Perspectives of Nigerian high school teachers. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 21(6).
Bada, D. R. & Olusegun, S. (2015). Constructivism Learning Theory: A paradigm for teaching and learning. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 5(6), 66-70.
Cooper, C., Booth, A., Varley-Campbell, J., Britten, N., & Garside, R. (2018). Defining the process to literature searching in systematic reviews: a literature review of guidance and supporting studies. BMC medical research methodology, 18(1), 1-14.
Creswell, J. W (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design (3rd Ed) Thousand Oak, CA: SAGE.
Creswell, J.W (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. (4th Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Department of Basic Education (2019) Curriculum News. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education
Department of Basic Education. (2018) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement Business Studies. Pretoria: Department of Education
Du Plessis, P., & Mestry, R. (2019). Teachers for rural schools–a challenge for South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 39.
Govender, S. (2018). South African teachers’ perspectives on support received in implementing curriculum changes. South African Journal of Education, 38(1).
Govender, S., Ajani, O. A., Ndaba, N. H., & Ngema, T. (2023). Making In-service Professional Development Effective in a Rural Context: Enhancing Social Justice for Rural Teachers. In Contextualising Rural Education in South African Schools (pp. 78-95). Brill.
Grant, C. & Osanloo, A. (2014). Understanding, Selecting and Theoretical Framework in Dissertation Research: Creating the Blueprint for your "House". Administrative Issues Journal: Connecting, education, practice, and Research, 4(2), 6-15.
Iwu, C. G., Opute, P. A., Nchu, R., Eresia-Eke, C., Tengeh, R. K., Jaiyeoba, O., & Aliyu, O. A. (2021). Entrepreneurship education, curriculum, and lecturer-competency as antecedents of student entrepreneurial intention. The International Journal of Management Education, 19(1), 100295.
Jia, Q. (2010). A brief study on the implication of constructivism: Teaching Theory on Classroom Teaching Reform in Basic Education. International Education Studies, 3(2), 120-132.
Jones, M.G. & Brader- Araje, L. (2002). the impact of constructivism on Education: Language Discourse and Meaning. American Communication Journal, 5(3), 152-165.
Kayembe, C., & Nel, D. (2019). Challenges and opportunities for education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. African Journal of Public Affairs, 11(3), 79-94.
Killen, R. (2015). Teaching Strategies for Quality Teaching and Learning (2nd Ed) CAPE TOWN: Juta and Company (PTY) Ltd
Kimotho, R.M. (2016). Pedagogical challenges facing the teaching of Business Studies and impact on learners’ achievement in secondary schools in Nyandarua Country-Kenya. Unpublished (MEd) dissertation School of Education, Kenyatta University
Kraus, S., Breier, M., Lim, W. M., Dabić, M., Kumar, S., Kanbach, D., ... & Ferreira, J. J. (2022). Literature reviews as independent studies: guidelines for academic practice. Review of Managerial Science, 16(8), 2577-2595.
Lumadi, M. W. (2013). Challenges besetting teachers in classroom assessment: An exploratory perspective. Journal of Social Sciences, 34(3), 211-221.
Matoetoe, M.M.V. (2017). A strategy to enhance Business education learners’ academic performance using the principle of critical Accounting. Unpublished (MEd), University of Free State.
Mbonambi, T.R.; Gamede, B.T. & Ajani, O.A. (2023). Investigating the challenges of teaching and learning Business Studies in South African rural high schools: in pursuit of enhanced classroom practices, Multicultural Education Journal, 9(2), 31-44.
Mdunana, N. (2011). Challenges faced by grade 12 Business Studies teachers in the process of compiling school-based assessment portfolios for learners in 2009. Unpublished (MEd) dissertation at the University of Witwatersrand.
Meintjes, H. H. (2023). Learner Views of a Facebook Page as a Supportive Digital Pedagogical Tool at a Public South African School in a Grade 12 Business Studies Class. In Research Anthology on Applying Social Networking Strategies to Classrooms and Libraries (pp. 1374-1389). IGI Global.
Meintjes, H. H., & van Wyk, M. M. (2023). Facebook Page as a Digital Pedagogical Tool in the Business Studies Class. In Research Anthology on Applying Social Networking Strategies to Classrooms and Libraries (pp. 558-575). IGI Global.
Mlaba, M.S. (2014). The Implementation of the CAPS by grade 10 Business Studies teachers at two particular high schools in the UGU District. Unpublished (MEd) dissertation, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mlachila, M. M., & Moeletsi, T. (2019). Struggling to make the grade: A review of the causes and consequences of the weak outcomes of South Africa’s education system.
Ogbonnaya, U. I., & Awuah, F. K. (2019). Quintile Ranking of Schools in South Africa and Learners' Achievement in Probability. Statistics Education Research Journal, 18(1), 106-119.
Oke, A., & Fernandes, F. A. P. (2020). Innovations in teaching and learning: Exploring the perceptions of the education sector on the 4th industrial revolution (4IR). Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(2), 31.
Post, C., Sarala, R., Gatrell, C., & Prescott, J. E. (2020). Advancing theory with review articles. Journal of Management Studies, 57(2), 351-376.
Sarfraz, M., Khawaja, K. F., & Ivascu, L. (2022). Factors affecting business school students’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated and mediated model. The International Journal of Management Education, 20(2), 100630.
Savides, M. (2017). SA schools have 5,139 teachers who are unqualified or under-qualified. Herald Liner 6 June 2017. Retrieved on 13 May 2022 from http://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/2017/06/06/sa-schools-5139-teachers- unqualified-qualified/.
Sithole, B.M. & Lumadi, M.W. (2013). Improvisation and the Use of Community Resources in Business Studies Teaching. Journal of Social Sciences, 32(1), 1-7.
Warui, I.J., (2015) Challenges facing Teaching and Learning of Integrated Business Studies in day secondary schools in Kirinyaga West District, Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research, 3 (2), 24-38.
Zenda, R. (2020). Impact of the learner-educator ratio policy on learner academic achievement in rural secondary schools: A South African case study. Africa Education Review, 17(3), 37-51.
Published
2023-08-06
How to Cite
Thulile, M. F., Ayodele Ajani, O., & Gamede, B. T. (2023). Why Do Teaching and Learning Business Studies in South African Rural High Schools Face Challenges?. International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, 6(6), 865-877. https://doi.org/10.47814/ijssrr.v6i6.1623
Section
Main Articles
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