Essential Competencies for Business Educators: The Demands of Today’s Professional Landscape (Published)
Business Education, a specialized branch within the education sector, focuses on imparting practical business skills and knowledge at both secondary and tertiary levels. It combines theoretical instruction with hands-on experience to prepare students for real-world business challenges. Recognized as a vital tool for fostering entrepreneurial skills and job creation, Business Education is crucial for individual self-sufficiency and global economic development. However, challenges such as insufficient instructor preparation and an overemphasis on procedures over practical skills hinder its effectiveness. A competent business educator must possess both academic and professional qualifications, and be adept in teaching methodologies, administration, and human relations. Key competencies for business educators include professional competency (effective teaching and curriculum management), administrative competency (departmental management and organizational skills), and human skill competency (interpersonal and teamwork skills). Various factors affect the ability of educators to exhibit these competencies, including unqualified teachers, inadequate resources, poor remuneration, and lack of ongoing professional development. To address these issues, it is recommended that governments employ specialized business education teachers, provide updated textbooks and resources, improve teacher salaries, and offer regular professional development opportunities. Enhancing practical teaching periods and ensuring adequate teaching practice and industrial experience are also crucial. By implementing these recommendations, Business Education can better equip students with the necessary skills to contribute to national and global economic progress.
Keywords: Professional, administrative, business educators, competency, human skill