ABSTRACT

The teaching of Business Studies, overtime has been recording below average performance in the national examinations all over the world, Kenya inclusive. Studies carried out in some other part of the world clearly document the reasons for this and the measures that have been undertaken to  alleviate  this problem. This study sought to investigate the pedagogical challenges facing  the  teaching of Business Studies subject and their impact on students’ achievements in  national examination in Nyandarua County. The study was guided by constructivist theory which describes how learning takes place in the classroom. The study used exploratory study design to identify the challenges faced by the Business study teacher, how the teaching and learning environment determines  the teaching and learning methods applied in the classroom by the teachers, to determine how well the teachers were aware of the different teaching  and  learning methods available and the determine whether the levels of cognitive domain tested by the Business Studies teachers  in the internal examinations are  in line with those tested by the examining body-KNEC. The sample size was obtained using random and purposive sampling. Data was collected from 10 teachers out of 33 Business Studies teachers. The data was gathered using teachers’ questionnaires, HoDs questionnaires, classroom Observation checklist and teaching documents. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS  computer programme. Qualitative data was subjected to the Spearman -Brown prediction where even and odd number questions were correlated to determine reliability. Qualitative data was analyzed through narration and constant comparison. The data was represented using frequency table tables, bar graphs  and pie charts. The finding indicated  that the Business Studies is taught mostly  by unqualified teachers. Data analysis revealed that most of teachers were using commercially sourced schemes of work and did not have lesson plans. Mostly teachers used expository methods of teaching and learners were passive. Since most of the teachers were not trained, they set internal examinations that only tested the low levels of cognitive domain that is knowledge and comprehension while the national examinations tested all the levels of cognitive domain.  Teachers did not prepare a marking scheme nor tables of test specifications because either they were ignorant or did not know how to prepare. Due to lack of adequate teaching and learning resources, there was little integration between what was taught in class and the application of that knowledge in real life situation. The finding would help in making decision on recruitment of qualified teachers, providing appropriate resources, retraining of teachers and the school management emphasizing on the need for the teachers to prepare their own scheme of work. Appropriate recommendations were made including  retraining of the teachers.

CHAPTER ONE

            INTRODUCTION

This chapter covers the background to the study, the statement of the problem, objectives, purpose, significance, assumption, scope and limitations of the study, theoretical and conceptual frameworks and operational and definition of terms.

          Background to the Study.

The students’ achievement in any subject is a determinant to the success of that subject. Study done by Bae and Song (2006) in South Korea indicates that Business Studies is highly beneficial on job placement, more so to non college bound youths. Studies done in Europe have shown that where both class and work-based training are provided in formal schools, it has led to reduction of youth unemployment in countries like Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Austria, (Quintini, Martin& Martin, 2007). Ghana, Senegal, Botswana, Mozambique and Swaziland have incorporated basic vocational skills in their lower or junior secondary school curriculum in an attempt to expose young people to pre-employment skills (African Union, 2007).

Dawson (2001) found that the content taught in Business Studies subjects in Australian schools was not compatible with traditional school timetables. The practicability nature of Business Studies requires more than the 40 – 60 minute lessons allocated for the subject in the timetable. The subject requires a block of 2

or 3-hour sessions in order to accord the students ample time to practice and also develop business skills such as site visits to industry and business premises.

Burman (2012) recommends the use of entrepreneurial pedagogy in Botswana, in order to improve the Business Studies performance in the national examinations.  This should be in form of mini enterprise, kinesthetic (learning by doing) and experiential pedagogical approaches. Borrington (2004) asserts that more  time  needs to be allocated in the school time table. Such teaching strategies as simulations, debates, case studies, surveys, cooperative and individual research projects can be used by the teachers in teaching global business concepts among others. The use of such teaching strategies has increased the student performance by over 60% (Burma 2012).

In Kenya, Business Studies occupies a high profile in the secondary school curriculum as evidenced by the high number of students  selecting the subject in  form three (KNEC 2012). This has been due to a number of fundamental reasons. The subject aims at equipping the learners with practical business acumen and skills that will enable them to produce and provide goods and services in future at reasonable prices, help the learner to identify and exploit opportunities; create self employment, and take a career in accounting, economics, banking and secretarial among others in post secondary school (MoEST 2000). As a result of the economic turbulence of the 1980s and the youth unemployment crisis, it was believed that if the young people were properly prepared and equipped for work, by being given the

right knowledge, they could find jobs (Bae & Song, 2006). One  way of doing  so was the introduction of Business Studies in primary and secondary schools in 1987 after it was excluded in the syllabus during the introduction of 8-4-4 in 1984. Business Studies as a subject is classified as a vocational subject meant to impart knowledge for practical use. Teaching of Business studies is seen as one way of increasing employment.

The Kenyan government is committed to ensuring that there is provision of high quality Business Studies education by introducing the course to all  the students  upon joining Form one. In whichever career one joins, he/she requires business knowledge. There is need to  vocationalise  the  secondary school curricula in order to provide an economically relevant education meant to prepares students for the world of work (Lauglo, 2005). The below average performance in  Kenyan secondary school has been due to the facts that its taught by untrained teachers, who often use traditional methods of teaching.

In Kenya, the performance of the subject has had a below average performance

Table 1. 1: Candidates overall performance in Business Studies subject in KCSE in the year 2007 to 2011.

performance

Table 1.1 indicates that overall, the mean score in KCSE has been declining for example from 2007 to 2009. The low mean scores in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education are worrying. From the years 2008 to 2011, the percentage of those who scored below average (50%) in Business Studies was much higher than those who scored above average. In 2008, on average, the percentage of those who scored below average was 63, whereas in 2009 the percentage was 65 (The Kenya National Examinations Council 2012).

In Nyandarua South Sub-County, the data available indicates that there are more students scoring below average in the National examination. Business  Studies subject has a pass rate of 42% meaning that 58% scored below  average  (MoE 2012).

Table1. 2: Candidates overall performance in Business Studies in KCSE from the year 2007, to 2011 in Nyandarua South Sub-County,

Year               Candidates’                 Mean Score/100

Source: MOE Nyandarua South Sub-County 2012

From Table 1.2, the general performance of the students in the national examination has had a down ward trend except for year 2007, where the mean score was above 50%. The performance declined from 54.65 in 2007 to 39.48 in 2008, then to 39.43 in 2009. The decline in performance went further down to 37.75 in 2010 with a  sharp rise to 42.11 in 2011. The downward trend is worrying especially when the achievement is below average. These promoted the researcher to do a research to

determine the pedagogical challenges facing the teaching of Business Studies resulting to this decline in student achievement in the national examination set by KNEC.