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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the value of business education at the secondary school level as perceived by three groups of people who have great impact on course offerings, student advisement, and teacher hiring decisions. Specifically, high school counselors, high school principals, and local board of education presidents in a Midwestern state were surveyed concerning the value of business education at the secondary school level. Survey results showed that all three groups believed high school business education courses are valuable with keyboarding, computer applications, and word processing being the most important. Principals and board of education presidents believed a general business course should be a required course rather than an elective. Of the workplace competencies taught in business courses, overall results showed the most important, according to respondents, were decision making/critical thinking and human relations. The least important workplace skill was small business management/entrepreneurship. Overall, high school principals valued business competencies and courses more than guidance counselors and board of education presidents, with guidance counselors being least supportive.
Background
Over the years, various factors have affected the number and type of business courses offered in secondary schools in the United States. To keep their business programs alive, secondary business teachers have had to explain, defend, and sell various stakeholders, including students, on the value of business education. Besides students, the support of three other groups is also needed: (1) guidance counselors who advise students on the courses they need to take, (2) high school principals who hire teachers and control the curricular offerings, and (3) local board of education presidents who provide financial and moral support needed to keep business education in the high school curriculum.
The perceptions of guidance counselors, principals, and local board of education members can have a profound effect on the funding of and enrollment in business education courses. In informal settings, high school business teachers sometimes question why their school principals, guidance counselors, and local school district board of education members are not more supportive of their departments.
One research study conducted about 100 years ago directly addressed the perceptions of principals toward elective high school courses (Bagley, 1908). That study found that 16% of the principals surveyed indicated elective courses were detrimental to students,...