Business Education Goals and Objectives

The program of undergraduate study in business education is designed to prepare graduates as public school business teachers (including middle grades and high school), teachers/trainers in business and industry, and other business and industry personnel in which applicants are required to have a business/teaching background.

At ECU the School of Education conceptual framework for teacher education undergirds the entire program with a theme of The Reflective Practitioner comprised of the following four elements:  Partnership, Technology, Reflection, and Diversity.

Business education is a broad, comprehensive curriculum at the secondary level that provides students with meaningful instruction for and about business.  Instruction in this program encompasses business skills and techniques, an understanding of basic economics, and attitudes necessary to enable students to participate in our economy as wage earners and consumers.

Specifically, the program in business education is designed to:

1. Provide for developing proficiency with principles and applications essential to effective performance in a business career and effective participation in economic systems through study that include business communications, business law, accounting, business/computer information systems (to include a relevant programming language), management, marketing, personal and business finance, entrepreneurship, economics and emerging technologies.  All studies include appropriate ethical and international perspectives.
    
2. Provide an understanding of curriculum development and teaching methods in business programs.  Study includes the analysis of tasks performed in a business environment as a method of determining curriculum.  Methods of teaching technical and non-technical business subjects are included and the beginning teacher should be able to demonstrate the ability to analyze business processes/procedures and develop a training process/program to assist the learner in acquiring needed business knowledge and skills; demonstrate effective methods, specialized techniques, instructional procedures and educational media in the presentation of business subjects; demonstrate a basic understanding of computer hardware and software appropriate for the business program; and demonstrate the ability to plan and manage instruction using the Vocational Competency Achievement Tracking System (VoCATS) process and products.
     
3. Provide an understanding of the foundations of career and technical education administration and evaluation of business programs.  Study includes the foundations of career and technical education from federal and state perspectives, trends in business and in education, and the integration of business studies in the total school program.  The beginning teacher should be able to evaluate textbooks, equipment and materials to be used in business courses; design a business curriculum; explain the philosophy and major issues in business education; plan, organize and administer a business program in the middle and secondary schools; identify the purposes of and effectively work with a business advisory committee; manage the business education student organization chapter; develop a marketing plan for the business program in the middle and secondary school; explain the role of business education as a part of career-technical education and the total educational enterprise; and use data to make curriculum improvements.
    
4. Provide an understanding of work-based learning.  Study includes different models of work-based learning and supervision and assessment of students within the different work-based learning environments.  The beginning teacher must be able to implement coordination techniques for the business program and incorporate career guidance into the business program.
    
5. Provide a field-based clinical experience for the prospective business teacher to assume responsibility for the full range of teaching duties in an actual school situation under the supervision of qualified personnel from both the college/university and the cooperating school.  Prospective business teachers must achieve competence in general studies, background and enrichment in teaching, teaching/learning theory, and specialty area studies prior to or during the field-based clinical experience.