Pedagogical practices of business studies teachers in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools: Are teachers and curriculum planners singing from the same hymnbook?

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the extent to which the teaching practices of Business Studies teachers in Botswana junior secondary schools conform to pedagogical practices recommended by curriculum planners. The findings of this study suggest that teachers and curriculum planners are not singing from the same hymnbook, thus, the pedagogical practices of Business Studies teachers are at variance with the expectations of the curriculum planners. Teacher-centred pedagogy is the dominant mode of instruction used to teach Business Studies in Botswana junior secondary schools despite the fact that curriculum planners advocate for a paradigm shift from teaching to learning through the employment of learner-centred entrepreneurial-directed teaching methods. The study concludes with the recommendation that, for pedagogical practices of business teachers to be aligned with those prescribed by curriculum planners, educational authorities and school administrators should put in place support structures aimed at monitoring and ensuring that the delivery of business education is done according to the stipulated business curriculum standards as well as enforcing the fulfillment of pedagogical practices set in the syllabi.