Challenges relating to the education of professional accountants have resulted in the establishment of a research area referred to as Accounting Education. This field of study has grown significantly in the past few years, both within the College of Accounting (CoA) at UCT, and at a national level.  The recent challenges in higher education created new spaces for research in areas such as curriculum relevance and development of blended learning, developing critical thinking through assessments, students’ approaches to learning, financial literacy, progression rates, etc.

We welcome scholars who are Masters and PhD students, as well as Accounting Academics interested in collaborative research in Accounting Education. Scholars interested in researching issues relating to Accounting Education are invited to contact Associate Professor Ilse Lubbe at ilse.lubbe@uct.ac.za.

Current focus areas of research in Accounting Education include:

• Curriculum development and integration;
• Quality teaching for large class sizes;
• Innovative teaching approaches and initiatives, including the use of technology;
• The use of small learning spaces in teaching and learning;
• Articulation challenges against an overloaded curriculum;
• Investigating students’ approaches to learning;
• Changing nature of accounting and education and evolving aspects of accountability for graduate outcomes including graduate attributes and pervasive skills, leadership skills, sustainability, ethical behaviour and ‘soft skills’;
• The use of various forms of assessment to assess technical competence including formative, summative, peer and self- assessments;
• The role of case studies in teaching;
• Engaging with issues of social justice, ethical conduct and social responsibility;
• Mentorship and teaching the teacher;
• Academic literacy, and challenges for English second-language students;
• The effect of social closure evident in African societies on accounting education;
• The challenges of tertiary accounting education in developing countries, including tensions relating to calls for no increases in student fees, free access to higher education, and so forth;
• The challenges of dealing with student expectations in a multicultural and multilingual environment.

The following outcomes form an integral part of the focus of researchers and scholars involved in the Accounting Education research group:

• Development of junior staff, by improving their understanding of teaching and learning in Accountancy, as well as their research ability;
• Production of quality papers for submission to the SA Journal in Accounting (SAJAR), Accounting Education, or any other suitable journals;
• Extending the field of Accounting Education, in support of the mission of the CoA as a centre of excellence in teaching and learning Accounting.