Exploring student perspectives on social responsibility in a business studies module in higher education

Lional Johnson ORCID iD & Alan Felix ORCID iD

Issue: Vol. 7 No.3  2026 Article 21 pp. 933 – 945
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267321| Published online 29th April 2026

© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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In recent years, social responsibility (SR) has become an important aspect of teacher training programmes. One of the key objectives of Higher Education is promoting and developing social responsibility in the curriculum. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to explore teacher-student perspectives on social responsibility in a Business Studies education project at a South African university. Through a qualitative research approach, the study was conducted with forty second-year Business Studies Further Education and Training (FET) students, using focus group interviews to analyse the data thematically. The key findings highlight that students are willing to contribute to communities, irrespective of their prior exposure to community engagement. Their participation in the social responsibility project shaped their values, attitudes and professional identity. Furthermore, the project framed their teamwork and solidarity as part of the collective process. These findings provide valuable insights for students, higher education lecturers, and policymakers at HEIs.  One of the key recommendations is that social responsibility should be embedded in the Business Study curriculum, FET phase courses at universities. The study contributes to the growing body of scholarship on university SR in teacher education by providing insights from a South African context, an area that remains underrepresented in the literature. It advances knowledge, illustrating how SR projects can shape students’ professional identity formation and civic values in Business Studies education. It also provides a strategy for integrating SR into teacher education modules that aligns with the FET phase curriculum and national education priorities.

Keywords: Social Responsibility, Business Studies, Higher Education, Community Engagement

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Mr. Lional Johnson has an HDE, B.Econ, B.Ed (Honours) from UWC, and a  Master’s degree from US in Educational Development and Management. He is a university lecturer in Economics and Management Sciences and Business Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology with sixteen years of lecturing experience from first to fourth years in the Education faculty. He also had six years’ experience as a subject advisor(Senior education specialist) in the Western Cape Education Department. Since 2008, he has been involved in comparative research to enhance the implementation of the curriculum in South African schools. He is the team leader of the Umalusi economics curriculum team for the past ten years and is involved in the examination of the Grade 12 economics paper analysis from 2008 to 2025. He is currently a peer reviewer for published articles for the International Journal of Learning, Teaching, and Educational Research.

Alan Felix is a lecturer at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Wellington campus, with a background in Geography, Social Science teaching, and the use of ICT in education. He has held various academic and leadership roles. Before this, he served as a Head of Department and lecturer at Sol Plaatje University from 2017 to early 2024, where he managed the Human Science Teaching department. His professional experience includes working as a teacher and principal for the Western Cape Education Department. His academic journey includes a PhD in Curriculum Studies from the University of Free State, which focused on integrating Geography teaching and learning using ICT. He has authored and co-authored articles and book chapters on topics related to technology in education. His most recent project is based on integrating technology using design thinking.

Johnson, Lional, and Alan Felix. “Exploring Student Perspectives on Social Responsibility in a Business Studies Module in Higher Education.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.3 (2026): 933 – 945. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267321

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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