The aim of this research was to examine the extent to which the pedagogical practices of
Business Studies teachers in Botswana junior secondary schools conform to pedagogical
practices recommended for imparting practical business skills relevant to the world of work. It
also aimed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ current practices with a view to
proffer a teaching model that would help to maximize learner acquisition of business skills and
competencies.
Literature related to the pedagogy of business education subjects was reviewed to give a general
conceptual and methodological foundation for the investigation. An overview of the
methodological approaches and the qualitative research design selected for application to the
study were provided including the data-gathering procedures and the conceptual framework that
supported and informed the research.
The major findings of the study were that Business Studies teachers subscribe mainly to the
transmission paradigm of teaching. Teachers’ failure to use constructivist pedagogies prescribed
in the syllabus were attributed to a multiplicity of challenges they face in their day-to-day
practices. The challenges that beset the pedagogy of business subjects emanate from a variety of sources such as the scarcity or non-availability of teaching materials and resources, a congested
syllabus and problems associated with striking a balance between the theoretical and practical
aspects of the subject. Teachers indicated that the Business Studies syllabus is too long and with
the little time allocated to teach it on schools timetables, it is impractical to expect them to
complete the syllabus using constructivist teaching approaches which they perceive as pedagogically burdensome and time-consuming. Despite the teachers’ constraints in creating
constructivist learning environments, the use of an entrepreneurial pedagogy in the form of the
mini enterprise whereby students are involved in setting and running a concrete enterprise is
prevalent.
The study concluded by suggesting a pedagogical model, based on the findings, to improve
Business Studies curriculum delivery. It was also recommended that support structures aimed at
monitoring and ensuring that the delivery of business education is done according to the
stipulated business curriculum standards be put in place. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/7045 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Sithole, Burman Musa |
| Contributors | Lumadi, Mutendwahothe Walter |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (vi, 214 leaves) : ill. (some col.), application/pdf |
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