The purpose of this study is to examine teachers’ perceptions of teacher factors affecting the dwindling Grade 12 learners’ performance in Business Studies National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations at the rural Umbumbulu circuit of Umlazi district, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study employed a qualitative research methodology to explore teachers’ perceptions. Five Grade 12 teachers were purposively selected from five rural secondary schools that offered Business Studies as a subject of teaching and learning in the Umbumbulu circuit. The case study research design was used to focus on a few participants who had lived experiences of teaching Business Studies at Grade 12 in rural schools and could relate to dominant factors influencing learner performance in this subject. Data were generated through faceto- face, semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was used as a method of analysing qualitative data with the purpose of identifying salient traits in data that could develop into themes. The study found that teacher factors influencing learner performance in Grade 12 Business Studies were teacher approaches to teaching Business Studies, timetabling and impediments to innovative teaching and assessment in the form of rural contextual factors such as large classes and a shortage of textbooks. The study nurtures awareness of teacher factors influencing rural school learners’ performance in Grade 12 Business Studies, so that Business Studies teachers in emerging economies can think of ways to address these factors to improve learner performance.

This study aims to examine challenges teachers often face when teaching Grade 12 Business Studies in schools situated at the rural Umbumbulu circuit of Umlazi district, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A qualitative research methodology was used to explore challenges that teachers encountered when teaching Grade 12 Business Studies. A purposive sample of five Grade 12 teachers was selected from five rural secondary schools that offered Business Studies as a curriculum subject in the Umbumbulu circuit. The need to elicit lived experiences of a few Grade 12 Business Studies teachers in rural schools in ways that could relate to challenges encountered by teachers inspired the choice of case study research design. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were used to generate data that was analysed through thematic analysis as a method of analysing qualitative data. The study found that in teaching Grade 12 Business Studies in rural schools, teachers had to face a number of challenges such as the unavailability of updated textbook publications, the language of learning and teaching and learner absenteeism, and late arrival at school. The study raises awareness of challenges Grade 12 Business Studies teachers in rural schools may face in teaching the subject so that teachers in emerging economies can think of ways to strengthen their resilience against these challenges and maximize their teaching potential.