Challenges Faced by Economics Teachers who did not Receive Specialised Training in the Subject

Abstract

Many teachers globally are faced with the challenge of teaching subjects without specialised training in those subjects, and the researchers of this study form part of those teachers. This study investigates the challenges experienced by Economics teachers who did not receive specialised training in the subject. The problem identified by this study was the poor academic performance of learners in Economics, which could be attributed to the teaching of the subject by teachers who have not specialised in this subject. The study was grounded in systems theory and pedagogical content knowledge theory. The study adopted a qualitative research approach that used face-to-face semi-structured interviews and document reviews to collect the required data. Purposive sampling was used to select participants: four educators who teach Economics without specialisation, one School Management Team (SMT) member, one principal, and one subject advisor. The study uncovered challenges such as learners’ struggle to understand English as a language of learning and teaching, and teachers overloaded teachers’ lack of content knowledge and support as challenges experienced by these teachers. It recommended that teachers teaching subjects without specialisation should be reallocated to teach the subjects of their specialisation, and/or the teachers should enrol in a study course(s) specially designed for them to capacitate themselves.