The Role Of Business Education At The K-12 Level: Faculty Perceptions On Establishing A Business Education Department In The College Of Basic Education At The Public Authority For Applied Education And Training

Abstract

In recent years, business education has grown rapidly at the university level, though there have been some critics who believe that this approach does not instill the outcomes that business schools claim. One possible approach suggested is the expansion of business education to general education at the K-12 level in order to better instill business skills among the general student population. The validity of this theory and the proposal to add a business education component to the College of Basic Education at The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training in The State of Kuwait was tested using the perspectives gathered through interviews of six faculty members from the College of Basic Education and the College of Business Studies. The interviews revealed varying opinions between the two faculties on the usefulness of business education generally, the applicability of business skills, and the importance of teaching business ethics. Though the hypothesis is ultimately not fully supported, the perspectives given provide a good start for considering expanding business education to the K-12 level.