Understanding

When literature in the United States talks about Business Education, it mostly refers to teaching and learning of business topics. The training as teacher for Business is often referred to as Business Teacher Education. For a broader approach to the discipline of Business Education including vocational training, as it applies to Austria, the term Business Education and Development is more appropriate.

Looking at the development of Business Education in the United States there are many similarities to Europe, especially in the early phase of development. The history of Business Education in the US starts in the 17^th century. In the first two centuries Business Education consisted mainly out of practical and economic areas, comparable to craft education in Europe.  In 1823 for the first time accounting was taught in a public school in Boston – the teaches were accounting professionals. In 1930 already 15.000 high schools in the US offered classes in business. Typical contents were English, Math, American History, Accounting, Typing and Stenography with complementary subjects in Economic Geography, Business Law and Handwriting.  The popularity of business subjects rose tremendously and in the 1970ies business subjects were the most popular subjects along with English and Social Studies. However, in the 1990ies student numbers in business subjects dropped. One reason for this development was that high schools shifted their focus to general education as preparation for College or University. This development leads also to a rapid drop of students studying Business Education (teaching degree) at Universities, which ended in the suspension of some Business Teacher Education programs. This change can still be recognized in the 21^st century. Soft skills, time management, business behavior, and problem solving are new areas that are adopted into the existing approach of Business Education.

The role of a business teacher in the US is to deliver age-appropriate instruction in the theories and processes of business. At the middle school level, instruction focuses on fundamentals such as typing and computer applications. At the secondary and postsecondary level, business instruction is more specialized and in-depth. For example, high school students may take accounting or economics as electives.

To get the certification to teach business in Public Secondary Schools there are general, to the whole US applying requirements, and individual requirements by each state. In general, a bachelor degree in Business Education is required to be eligible for a teaching certificate in all 50 states. Most states require additional to the bachelor degree a students teaching internship and a final examination. To teach in the postsecondary level a master degree in Business Education or Business Administration is the minimum requirement.  Requirements differ between the states. To be eligible for teaching without any additional certification requirements there is the possibility to gain a bachelor of science in education with a credential in business or a bachelor degree in business with a major in education.

The job opportunities for graduates in Business Education in the US are balanced. On basis of the US labor market statistics the average income per year as teacher is around USD 48,000 in vocational schools and around USD 73,000 in the tertiary sector.

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References

^{Tafner, G./Stock, M./Slepcevic-Zach, P. (2013): Die Wirtschaftspädagogik als Disziplin, in: Stock, M./Slepcevic-Zach, P./Tafner, G. (Eds.): Wirtschaftspädagogik. Ein Lehrbuch, Uni-Press, Graz, pp. 1–118.}

^{Education Portal (2013): Business School Teacher: Employment Info & Requirements, in the version of 12.12.2013.
URL: http://education-portal.com/articles/Business_School_Teacher_Employment_Info_and_Requirements_for_Becoming_a_Business_Teacher.html, [Retrieved: 12.12.2013].}