Enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills of grade 11 learners in accounting education in high school at uMgungundlovu district, South Africa
Abstract
This study presents a framework for enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in grade 11 Accounting. It emphasises the need for high school learners to develop both accounting knowledge and adaptable thinking skills, which are crucial for academic and professional success. In today's dynamic world, critical thinking and problem-solving are invaluable, particularly in accounting, where complex financial challenges are commonplace. High school is a pivotal stage for developing these skills, laying a strong foundation for future careers and professional success. The study employs multifaceted methodology, including literature review, classroom observations, and stakeholder discussions. It identifies effective teaching strategies and curriculum elements that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The proposed educational plan incorporates a range of instructional methods to engage learners. It features real-world case studies, providing practical insights into financial scenarios and requiring creative application of accounting knowledge. Group projects are emphasised to foster collaboration and diverse perspectives, enriching problem-solving capabilities. Results from this integrated approach are promising. Participants demonstrate significant improvement in analytical thinking, decision-making, and solving complex accounting problems. This approach enhances academic performance and equips learners with the essential career skills they need. This study concludes with practical advice for educators and curriculum developers on implementing this framework. By adopting these strategies, high school accounting education can be transformed, better preparing learners for future academic challenges and successful careers in accounting. This framework serves as a transformative tool, ensuring that grade 11 learners are proficient in accounting concepts and capable of applying their knowledge critically and innovatively.
How to Cite
References
- Abitoye, O., Abdul, A. A., Babalola, F. I., Daraojimba, C., & Oriji, O. (2023). the role of technology in modernizing accounting education for nigerian students–a review. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 5(12), 892-906. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v5i12.624
- Abou-El-Sood, H. (2024). Laughing to learn: harnessing student-developed memes in financial accounting classrooms. Accounting Education, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2024.2367136
- Ajani, O. A. (2020). Investigating the quality and nature of teachers' professional development in South Africa and Nigeria. Gender and Behaviour, 18(2), 15813-15823. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-genbeh-v18-n2-a61
- Alajmi, A., & Worthington, A. C. (2023). Qualitative insights into corporate governance reform, management decision-making, and accounting performance: Semi-structured interview evidence from Kuwait. In Handbook of Research Methods for Corporate Governance (pp. 291-321). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802202892.00022
- Alavi, S. M., Dashtestani, R., & Mellati, M. (2022). Crisis and changes in learning behaviours: technology-enhanced assessment in language learning contexts. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(4), 461-474. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1985977
- Alshurafat, H., Beattie, C., Jones, G., & Sands, J. (2020). Perceptions of the usefulness of various teaching methods in forensic accounting education. Accounting Education, 29(2), 177-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2020.1719425
- Barker, R., Penman, S., Linsmeier, T. J., & Cooper, S. (2020). Moving the conceptual framework forward: Accounting for uncertainty. Contemporary Accounting Research, 37(1), 322-357. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3846.12585
- Bean, J. C., & Melzer, D. (2021). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
- Bennett, C., & Bennett, J. L. (2022). Five Suggested Soft Skills Learning Objectives for Enhancing Undergraduate Accounting Curriculum. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 27, 1.14.
- Chern, O. S., & Cheeb, L. C. (2022). Examining the Use of Scaffolding Approach in Teaching Case Study: An Approach Towards Enhancing Students’ Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills. In Proceeding of the 7th Inspirational Scholar Symposium (pp. 180-192). Malaysia.
- Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. London: Sage Publications.
- Dembele, L., Nathan, S., Carter, A., Costello, J., Hodgins, M., Singh, R., ... & Cullen, P. (2024). Researching with lived experience: a shared critical reflection between co-researchers. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241257945. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241257945
- Díaz, M. M. M. B., Lim, J. R., Iborra, C. P., López, E., Rodríguez, H., López, R., ... & Groot, B. (2022). The power of curriculum to transform education: How education systems incorporate 21st century skills to prepare students for today’s challenges. http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0004360
- Digara, R. T., & Purwaningsih, Y. (2021). The effectiveness of problem based learning module with accounting computer module teaching material toward learning outcomes of the Eleventh-grade students of SMK Negeri 1 Wonogiri. American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 5(1), 437-443.
- Drewery, D. W., Sproule, R., & Pretti, T. J. (2020). Lifelong learning mindset and career success: evidence from the field of accounting and finance. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 10(3), 567-580. https://www.emerald.com/insight/2042-3896.htm
- Freier, N. G. (2009). Accounting for the child in the design of technological environments: A review of constructivist theory. Children Youth and Environments, 19(1), 144-169. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.19.1.0144
- Gill, S. L. (2020). Qualitative sampling methods. Journal of Human Lactation, 36(4), 579-581. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334420949218
- Hendarwati, E., Nurlaela, L., Bachri, B., & Sa'ida, N. (2021). Collaborative problem-based learning integrated with online learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 16(13), 29-39. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v16i13.24159
- Herbert, I. P., Rothwell, A. T., Glover, J. L., & Lambert, S. A. (2021). Does the changing world of professional work need a new approach to accounting education? Accounting Education, 30(2), 188-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2020.1827446
- Husain, F. N. (2023). Impact of Multiple Intelligences and 21st Century Skills on Future Work Force. International Education Studies, 16(3), 16-30. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v16n3p16
- Imene, F., & Imhanzenobe, J. (2020). Information technology and the accountant today: What has really changed? Journal of Accounting and Taxation, 12(1), 48-60. https://doi.org/10.5897/JAT2019.0358
- Jackson, D., & Meek, S. (2021). Embedding work-integrated learning into accounting education: The state of play and pathways to future implementation. Accounting Education, 30(1), 63-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2020.1794917
- Jayasinghe, K. (2021). Constructing constructivism in management accounting education: reflections from a teaching cycle with innovative learning elements. Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, 18(2), 282-309. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRAM-05-2020-0067
- Jonassen, C. J. (2024). A Qualitative Study of Principal Perspectives on the Implementation of Restorative Practices (Unpublished PhD thesis), Charlotte: University of North Carolina, United States.
- Kandakatla, R., Berger, E. J., Rhoads, J. F., & DeBoer, J. (2020). Student Perspectives on the Learning Resources in an Active, Blended, and Collaborative (ABC) Pedagogical Environment. International Journal of Engineering Pedagog., 10(2), 7-31. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v10i2.11606
- Kgari-Masondo, C., & Ngwenya, J. (2020). Lecturers’ reflections on the teaching of social sciences in a multidisciplinary context at a university in South Africa. Reflective Practice, 21(2), 198-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2020.1732332
- Lofland, J., Snow, D., Anderson, L., & Lofland, L. H. (2022). Analyzing social settings: A guide to qualitative observation and analysis. Long Grove: Waveland Press.
- Lubna, L. (2020). Meta-Analysis Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Model in Social Sciences. Jurnal Tatsqif, 18(1), 22-35. https://doi.org/10.20414/jtq.v18i1.2447
- Motsoeneng, T. J., & Moreeng, B. (2022). Accounting Teachers' Understanding and Use of Assessment for Learning to Enhance Curriculum Implementation. Journal of Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, 8(3), 288-302.
- Ndovela, S. G., Hlongwane, N. F., & Ngwenya, J. C. (2023). Collaborative teaching strategies used to enhance learning of accounting concepts. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 12(8). 467-475. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v12i8.2969
- Ngwenya, J. C. (2012). Formative assessment in Accounting: Exploring teachers' understanding and practices (Unpublished PhD thesis). Durban: University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
- Ngwenya, J. C., & Arek-Bawa, O. O. (2020). Assessment in textbooks: exploring cognitive demand in first-year accounting textbooks. South African Journal of Higher Education, 34(1), 176-196.
- Ngwenya, J., & Hlophe, N. Q. (2022). Teaching strategies used to develop higher-order thinking skills in financial accounting in selected schools in South Africa. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 10(2), 173-183. https://dx.doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2022.100206
- Olga, D. M., Olena, Y. F., Nataliia, K., Inna, S., Valentyna, B., & Olesia, D. (2020). Application of modern software for improving the economic analysis accounting efficiency at enterprises. Journal of Management Information and Decision Science, 23(5), 649-660.
- Pertiwi, L. W. R., Ariyanto, D., Suprasto, H. B., & Suartana, I. W. (2020). Case-based accounting learning strategies. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 7(1), 156-161. https://dx.doi.org/10.21744/irjmis.v7n1.834
- Pervin, N., & Mokhtar, M. (2022). The interpretivist research paradigm: A subjective notion of a social context. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(2), 419-428. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v11-i2/12938
- Priya, A. (2021). Case study methodology of qualitative research: Key attributes and navigating the conundrums in its application. Sociological Bulletin, 70(1), 94-110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920970318
- Rudman, R., & Kruger, W. (2014). Using a group work project as an educational tool in management accounting education. The International Business & Economics Research Journal, 13(3), 611-628. https://doi.org/10.19030/iber.v13i3.8598
- Seevaratnam, V., Gannaway, D., & Lodge, J. (2023). Design thinking-learning and lifelong learning for employability in the 21st century. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 14(1), 182-201. https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1631
- Sithole, B. M., & Pereira, L. (2019). Towards constructivist learning and teaching in accounting education. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 10(1), 1-9. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-149b24258d
- Steenkamp, G., & Brink, S. M. (2024). Students’ experiences of peer learning in an accounting research module: Discussion forums, peer review and group work. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(3), 101057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101057
- Tran, T. T., & Herzig, C. (2023). Blended case-based learning in a sustainability accounting course: An analysis of student perspectives. Journal of Accounting Education, 63, 100842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2023.100842
- Tsiligiris, V., & Bowyer, D. (2021). Exploring the impact of 4IR on skills and personal qualities for future accountants: a proposed conceptual framework for university accounting education. Accounting Education, 30(6), 621-649. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2021.1938616
- Ugwoke, E. O., Olulowo, T. G., & Adedayo, I. O. (2020). Using guided discovery to improve students’ retention and academic attitudes to financial accounting concepts. Education Research International, 2020(1), 6690082. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6690082
- Wang, Y. P., & Wu, T. J. (2022). Effects of online cooperative learning on students’ problem-solving ability and learning satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 817968. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.817968
- Wolcott, S. K., & Sargent, M. J. (2021). Critical thinking in accounting education: Status and call to action. Journal of Accounting Education, 56, 100731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2021.100731
- Wooten, T. C. (1998). Factors Influencing Student Learning in Introductory Accounting Classes: A Comparison of Traditional and Nontraditional Students. Issues in Accounting Education, 13(2), 357-373.