Teachers' and learners' views on the role that entrepreneurship education plays in career choice decision-making of Business studies learners in Ekurhuleni Gauteng East District

Abstract

As unemployment is on the rise in developing economies as the result of a decline in the global economy during the past decade, increased attention is paid to entrepreneurship as generator of global economic growth. It has been noted that sustainable economic development cannot be achieved without entrepreneurship, nor can a country increase its gross domestic product and stock of wealth, or improve its citizens’ quality of life, if entrepreneurship is not increased. In order to increase the prospect of entrepreneurship in a country, it is necessary to introduce secondary school learners to entrepreneurship from the early grades, specifically the Grades 8 and 9 General Education and Training phase years. To stimulate learners’ interest in the subject, it is important to provide them with appropriate resources and textbooks, competent teachers and a well-structured curriculum. The knowledge and skills gained from studying entrepreneurship could influence learners’ future career choices. The unemployment rate in South Africa is high and 70 per cent of unemployed South Africans are youths. This percentage grows annually as learners exit the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. There is a dearth of literature on the attitudes of South African Business Studies learners in the FET phase towards entrepreneurship as a future career. Additionally, the role that entrepreneurship education plays in the potential career choices of Business Studies learners in the FET phase has not been explored extensively. Consequently this study attempted to explore the role of entrepreneurship education in influencing Business Studies learners in the FET phase in choosing entrepreneurship as a career. A qualitative case study research method was used to conduct the study. Three schools were identified and data were collected from them. The data-gathering methods employed were face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with Business Studies teachers; and focus group interviews with Business Studies learners in the three schools. The objective of the interviews was to determine the respondents’ views on the role that entrepreneurship education plays in learners’ career choices. The findings of the study indicate that teachers and learners strongly agree that entrepreneurship education plays a significant role in learners’ choice of entrepreneurship as a career. However, the respondents (both teachers and learners) highlighted challenges that could prevent learners from choosing entrepreneurship as a career.

Namate ʼn insinking in die wêreldekonomie die afgelope dekadewerkloosheid in ontwikkelende lande laat toeneem het, geniet entrepreneurskap as stimulus vir globale ekonomiese groei groter aandag. Dit is alombekend dat entrepreneurs noodsaaklik is vir volhoubare ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Sonder entrepreneurs kan geen ekonomie groei nie, kan geen land sy bruto binnelandse produk en rykdomreserwe vermeerdernie, en bly sy burgers se lewenstandaard onveranderd. Ten einde entrepreneurs te kweek, moet hoërskoolleerders reeds in Graad 8 en 9, in die jare van Algemene Onderwys en Opleiding (oftewel die AOO-fase), met entrepreneurskap kennis maak. Om hulle belangstelling te prikkel, isgeskikte hulpmiddels en handboeke, bevoegde onderwysers en ʼn behoorlik gestruktureerde kurrikulum noodsaaklik. Die kennis en vaardighede wat leerders in die studie van entrepreneurskap opdoen, kan hulle loopbaankeuse bepaal. Suid-Afrika het ʼn hoë werkloosheidsyfer en 70 persent van die land se werkloses is jongmense. Hierdie persentasie styg jaar na jaar namate leerders die fase vir Verdere Onderwys en Opleiding (VOO) voltooi. Daar is ʼn skaarste aan literatuur oor die vraagof Besigheidstudiein die VOO-fase Suid- Afrikaanse leerders se ingesteldheid jeens entrepreneurskapas loopbaan beïnvloed. Ook is die rol wat onderrig in entrepreneurskap in leerders se keuse van ʼn loopbaan speel, nog nie volledig ondersoek nie. Gevolglik poog hierdie studie om te bepaal of onderrig in entrepreneurskap Besigheidstudieleerders in die VOO-fase entrepreneurs van beroep laat word. ʼn Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie is as navorsingsmetode gebruik. Data is by drie skole ingesamel. By hierdie skole is deels gestruktureerde onderhoude van aangesig tot aangesig gevoer met Besigheidstudieonderwysers en fokusgroeponderhoude met Besigheidstudieleerders. Die doel van die onderhoude was om vas te stel of leerders van mening is dat onderrig in entrepreneurskap hulle loopbaankeuse bepaal. Volgens die bevindings van hierdie studie is onderwysers en leerders dit volkome eens dat onderrig ʼn bepalende rol in leerders se keuse van entrepreneurskap as loopbaan speel. Desnietemin het sowel onderwysers as leerders op uitdagings gewys wat verhoed dat leerders hierdie loopbaan volg.