FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDENTS' LOW ENROLLMENT IN BUSINESS SUBJECT

1.1 Introduction

Business education involves teaching students the fundamentals, concepts, theories and processes of business. Business education is an important part of the general education which emphasizes on skills and competencies acquisition for use in offices and business related occupations (Okoli, 2010). The tenet of business education embraces basic education for teaching career, entrepreneurship, business understanding, office environment and vocational practices.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

The origin of business is traceable to private business schools. In the early 1990’s the proprietor’s of this private schools run them with motive of making profits. The curriculum was limited to few subjects like shorthand, typewriting, accounting, commerce, office practice, and secretarial studies. The system of education had in the past concentrated on the liberal academic education. Criticism of this type of education lead to the introcution of termed as functional education (6-3-3-4), system of education in the government owned secondary school in Nigeria. In that same period, the curriculum was not properly planned and business communities were not involved in the administration of the schools to contribute financially or otherwise. The introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria placed great emphasis on business education.

Business education is a field of education which deal with business experiences for specialized occupational uses. Business education involves teaching students the fundamentals, theories, and process of business. As an arm of vocational education, its essential roles in the task of nation building is inestimable and well known to accountant, scientists, educationists and to people of all works of life. The realization of the essential role of education in general necessitate various plans and programme aimed at developing education at all levels in Nigeria in general and Ebonyi State in particular.

Every person is involved in and depending on the world of business with it’s series of activities. This modern world with it’s holding companies; local, state and federal budgets, changing monetary policies government regulations and trade restrictions, demands a well informed citizenry. The markets are filled with various types of goods and services. As consumers, people must decide how they will spend their limited income by choosing among many goods and services offered by business in a manner that will best meet their needs.

According to Azuka, Nwosu, Kanu and Agomuo (2006), in order to be economically literate and be informed citizens, wise consumers and competent workers, each person must have some understanding of the world of business and it’s functions. Apart from all-that the student can gain from studying business education only a few students enroll for Business Subject in their final year examination in senior secondary school (SSS III).

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to sought out factors responsible for student’s low enrolment in Business Subject in Ebonyi State Secondary schools.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Considering the need for functional educational and criticism of liberal education which lead to the introduction of Business Subject in secondary school; students low enrolment in this subject matter has been observed as a serious problem facing various secondary schools in Ebonyi State that is offering business subjects. Also it is annoying to observe that Business Subject seem not to be progressing as it should be culminating to low enrolment of students in this area of the study.

There is a high level of unemployment in Nigeria. This is partly due to the fact that people do not have the required knowledge and skills to secure and create jobs to be self employed. The Technical colleges can produce individuals who are capable of securing good jobs and getting self employed so as to overcome the problem of unemployment. But as long as there is low enrolment in the technical colleges, youths will continue to remain unemployed which will lead to unrest and increases in vices in Ebonyi State. Hence this study is to investigate the Factors Responsible for Students' Low Enrollment in Business Subject in Some Selected Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to scrutinize the Factors Responsible for Students' Low Enrollment in Business Subject in Some Selected Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to find out:

1. Teacher related factors responsible for student’s low enrolment in Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State.
2. Student related factors responsible for student’s low enrolment in Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State.
3. Administrative related factors responsible for student low enrolment in Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State.
4. Facilitates related factors responsible for student’s low enrolment in Business Subject in secondary schools Ebonyi State.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does teachers’ related factor causes students’ low enrolment in Business Subject in Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State?
• Does students’ related factor affects students’ low enrolment in Business Subject in Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State?
• What are the administrative related factors responsible for students’ low enrolment in Business Subject in Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State?
• What are the facilities related factors responsible for students’ low enrolment in Business Subject in Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Teachers’ related factors is not responsible for students low enrolment in Business Subject secondary schools in Ebonyi State
• H1: Teachers’ related factors is responsible for students low enrolment in Business Subject secondary schools in Ebonyi State

Hypothesis Two

• H0: Students’ related factor does not affect students' enrollment rate in Business Subject secondary schools in Ebonyi State
• H1: Students’ related factors affects students' enrollment rate in Business Subject secondary schools in Ebonyi State

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1.7 Significance of Study

The purpose of this study is geared towards investigating the factors responsible for low enrolment of students in secondary schools in Ebonyi State. It will be immense beneficial to the educational planners, since it will assist them in formulation of sound and functional curriculum that will induce the students to study Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State and in Nigeria in general. The following are the specific relevance of the study which is stated as follows:

1. The study will be important to the policy maker to implement educational policies that will improve Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State.
2. It will be important to teachers to qualify in teaching Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State.
3. It will be important for students to be wise consumers of economic goods and services.
4. Finally, the suggestions or opinions or recommendation which emanated from this study will help the state government to solve problems of student’s low enrolment on Business Subject in secondary schools in Ebonyi State.

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1.8 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the Factors Responsible for Students' Low Enrollment in Business Subject in Some Selected Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State. The study covered nine (10) selected secondary schools in the three senatorial zones of Ebonyi State i.e Ebonyi South, Ebonyi North, Ebonyi Central.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).