Exploring factors contributing towards the enrolment decline in commercial subjects in secondary schools in Thabo Mofutsanyana education district

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to explore factors contributing to the decline in enrolment in commercial subjects in secondary schools in the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District (TMED). The study's specific goals were to find out what factors are causing fewer students to enrol in commercial subjects, whether a lack of resources could be a factor, and what strategies the school management team (SMT) and teachers can use to get more students to enrol in commercial subjects. The study employed a qualitative research approach. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. A total of 30 participants took part in this study, which included five commercial subjects’ teachers and 25 Grade 9 learners from five sampled secondary schools. The study used purposive sampling to obtain all the participants. Qualitative data were analysed and presented in text form, including quotes. The findings indicated that the decline in enrolment of learners in commercial subjects was influenced by learners’ perspectives about commercial subjects, lack of guidance, easy subject grouping or combination and influence from peers and parents. The results also showed that learners were not interested in commercial subjects because there were not enough teaching and LTSM and Information Communication Technology (ICT) was not used in the teaching and learning of those subjects. The suggested strategies to increase enrolment of learners in commercial subjects were such as providing guidance to learners, making LTSM available, implementing ICT in teaching and learning of commercial subjects and promoting commercial subjects to parents through various social media platforms. The study recommends that the schools should conduct commercial subjects’ debates and competitions that focus on different topics in commercial subjects. Additionally, the schools should organise a career day to provide learners with expert guidance on various careers in the commercial sector.