International Business Standards Integration for Promoting Global Competence in the Business Education Classroom

Abstract

This research study investigated business educators' perceptions of their competence to integrate the NBEA Standards for International Business, the extent of integration of these standards, and the challenges faced by educators in incorporating them into their subject areas. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were female, primarily within the age range of 48 to 57 years and with less than 10 years of teaching experience. Most educators held a master's degree, taught in rural schools, and primarily at the high school level. Business educators rated their perceived competence to integrate the NBEA Standards for International Business as basic to moderately competent. Notably, educators felt most competent in explaining differences between import, export, and international trade, while they felt least competent in evaluating impacts of foreign direct investments. Furthermore, the overall extent of integration of the standards was reported to be low, with business educators rarely integrating the standards into their teaching practices. Respect for other languages and cultures was the most integrated standard, while evaluating foreign direct investment was the least integrated. Significant positive correlations were found between business educators' perceived competence and the extent of integration of the NBEA Standards for International Business. This suggests that educators who felt more competent in integrating the standards demonstrated higher levels of integration. However, no significant differences were found in the extent of integration based on subject areas taught or educators' international experience. Challenges faced by business educators in integrating the NBEA Standards for International Business included perceiving the standards as unrelated to their subjects, lack of student interest, educators' perceived lack of content knowledge, and states prioritizing other competencies. However, educators generally recognized the importance of the standards for student learning. The findings of this study highlight the need for increased support and professional development for business educators to enhance their competence and integration of the NBEA Standards for International Business. Additionally, addressing challenges such as difficulty of integration and time constraints will contribute to the effective implementation of these standards in business education curricula.