Business Education Preparation Of Teachers

A person planning to teach business subjects in theteachers, as they were called, often were recruited
twenty-first century faces a wide array of possibilitiesfrom business colleges. The first collegiate institute to
regarding the students, subject areas, school levels,offer a program of preparation for business teachers
and sites at which business subjects are taught. Thewas Drexel Institute in Philadelphia in 1898. One-and
routes to certification and licensure are equally diverse.two-year normal schools came into existence in the
The challenge in business teacher education is toearly 1900s. From these informal to more formal
provide viable paths for professional development andpreparation programs, two requirements were
growth in settings that often require diverse technicalessential to ensure professional competency in
skills and teaching competencies. Business educationbusiness teacher education: on-thejob experience and
as a field is part of two worlds that are sometimesattendance at a university or teacher's college. These
viewed separately because of funding and licensingtwo prevailing requirements continue in the early
requirements. Business education is provided to meettwenty-first century. The purposes of business
both general education, and career and technicalteacher education coincide with the general breadth of
education needs. General education can further bethe field and the dual objectives of employment-related
divided between personal-use business skills andand general education. Sources of funding for
preparation for advanced study in business–twoeducation have affected how business teachers are
different types of goals. Calhoun and Robinsonlicensed. Since passage of federal vocational legislation
summarized these goals in 1995: Specialized instructionin the early 1900s, such as the Smith-Hughes Act in
to prepare students for careers in business.1917, the George-Deen Act of 1937, and the
Fundamental instruction to help students to assumeGeorge-Barden Act of 1946, up through the Vocational
their economic roles as consumers, workers, andEducation Act of 1963 and the Tech-Prep and
citizens. Background instruction to assist students inSchool-to-Work legislation of 1990, 1994, and 1998,
preparing for professional careers requiring advancedteaching licensure, as provided by the various states, is
study. Several statements from the Policiesgenerally of two types: (1) standard licensure for
Commission for Business and Economic Educationteaching in the secondary schools; and (2) career and
(1997, 1998, 1999) note that business educationtechnical licensure for teaching in programs reimbursed
represents a broad and diverse discipline (perhaps fieldby state and federal career and technical education
of study is a better term) that is included in all types offunds. Career and technical education programs and
educational delivery systems: elementary andtheir corresponding licensing requirements can exist at
secondary schools, one-and two-year schools andeither the secondary or postsecondary levels. Initial
community colleges, and four-year colleges andstandard licensing in the past has generally required the
universities. For many business teachers, a new andcompletion of an undergraduate program. This is
growing site for work is providing training or humanchanging for those programs that have moved or are
resource development services in industry. Businessnow moving to a postbaccalaureate degree
education can begin at any level; it can be interruptedrequirement for standard, initial licensure.
for varying periods of time; and it will very likely bePostbaccalaureate-or graduate-level licensing is
continued throughout the life of an individual. Businessparticularly attractive to persons who already possess
education includes education for administrative supporta bachelor's degree in business and then decide they
occupations, marketing and sales occupations,would like to enter teaching. Work experience has
information technology occupations, business teaching,been considered an essential part of business teacher
business administration, and economic understandings.preparation. It is frequently required for a career and
At the secondary level of education, business coursestechnical education license. However, work experience
are generally electives for students. History Ofis not generally required for graduation from business
Business Teacher Education The earliest teaching ofteacher education programs. Opinions about the value
business subjects in public grammar and secondaryof work experience are mixed. Teachers value their
school dates back to the 1700s with the study ofbusiness work experience and believe it gives them
bookkeeping. Programs in private academies soonconfidence in their teaching, but John Burrow and
became popular in public high schools, especially forNancy Groneman found in 1976 that the amount or
students who were not preparing for college. In thefrequency of related work experience of business
1800s private business schools were also a largeteachers has not been shown to result in greater
source of business preparation, and commercialteaching effectiveness.