Exploring Accounting Teachers’ Views on the Quality of Accounting Prescribed Textbooks in South Africa
Abstract
Textbooks are regarded as the primary conduits for delivering knowledge content to the students. As a result, teachers base their lesson plans on the material given in textbooks to ensure the effectiveness of instruction. This study focuses on teachers’ views on the quality of grade 12 Accounting prescribed textbooks. An interpretive, qualitative case study design was employed to get an in-depth understanding of teachers’ views. We used semi-structured interviews to obtained data from ten purposively selected Accounting teachers. What emerged from the findings is that, although textbooks are aligned with the curriculum in terms of topics covered, teachers found textbooks wanting in guiding and supporting teachers with regard to teaching new content and assessment activities. A lack of support and guidance in textbooks compelled teachers to use other support materials to compensate for the shortfalls in the prescribed textbooks. The study recommended that more than one prescribed textbook should be bought for students. In addition to the prescribed textbooks, teachers should be provided with more books for consultation during lesson preparations and teaching. Other learning and teaching support materials should be made available to avoid heavy reliance on textbooks.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.6.21
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abbott, J. I., & Palatnik, B. R. (2018). Students’ perceptions of their accounting class: Implications for instructors. Accounting Education, 27(1), 72–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2017.1381032
Adeoye, B. F., & Olabiyi, O. S. (2011). Basic Technology Textbooks in Nigerian Secondary Schools. A Quality and Content Analysis, 14(2), 153-168.
Aggarwal, J. C. (2001). Principles, methods and techniques of teaching (2nd ed.). New Delhi, India: VIKAS publishing.
Arek-Bawa, O., & Dhunpath, R. (2017). Assessment and Cognitive Demand in Higher Education Accounting Textbooks. Alternation, 24(2), 139-165. https://doi.org/10.20853/34-1-3370
Barac, K., & Du Plessis, L. (2014). Teaching pervasive skills to South African accounting students. Southern African Business Review, 18(1), 53-79. https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5645
Bargate, K. (2012). The readability of managerial accounting and financial management textbooks. Meditari Accountancy Research, 20(1), 4-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/10222521211234192
Bharath, P. (2015). An investigation of progression in historical thinking in South African History textbooks (Doctoral Thesis). University of KwaZulu-Natal: Pietermaritzburg.
Chirwa, G. W., & Naidoo, D. (2016). Teachers' perceptions of the quality of the new Expressive Arts textbooks for Malawi primary schools. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 6(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v6i1.411
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in Education (8th ed). New York: Routledge.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed). London, England: Sage.
Davidson, R. A., & Baldwin, B. A. (2005). Cognitive skills objectives in intermediate accounting textbooks: Evidence from end-of-chapter material. Journal of Accounting Education, 23(2), 79-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2005.05.001
Department of Basic Education. (2011). Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. Grades 10-12. Accounting. Pretoria: Government Printers.
Department of Education. (2009). Report of the task team for the review of the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement. Pretoria: Government Printers.
Erasmus, L. J., & Fourie, H. (2018). Inclusive accountancy programmes in South African higher education: A revised teaching approach. Accounting Education, 27(5), 495-512. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2018.1507828
Fan, L. (2013). Textbook research as scientific research: towards a common ground on issues and methods of research on mathematics textbooks. ZDM, 45(5), 765-777. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-013-0530-6
Freahat, N. M., & Smadi, O. M. (2014). Lower-order and higher-order reading questions in secondary and university level EFL textbooks in Jordan. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(9), 1804-1813. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.4.9.1804-1813
Janko, T., & Knecht, P. (2013). Visuals in Geography Textbooks: Categorization of Types and Assessment of Their Instructional Qualities. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 3(1), 93-110.
Kimmons, R. (2015). Open Education Resources (OER) quality and adaptation in K-12: Comparing teacher evaluations of copyright-restricted, open, and open/adapted textbooks. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16(5), 39-57. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v16i5.2341
Liang, L., & Cobern, W.W. (2013). Analysis of a typical Chinese high school biology textbook using the AAAS textbook standards. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 9(4), 329–336. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2013.942a
Lee, J., & Catling, S. (2016). Some perceptions of English geography textbook authors on writing textbooks. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 25(1), 50-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2015.1106204
Lin, Y. C., & Yang, D. C. (2015). Examining the Differences of Linear Systems between Finnish and Taiwanese Textbooks. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 11(6), 1265-1281. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1483a
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2014). Designing qualitative research (6th ed). London, England: Sage.
Morales, R., & Baker, A. (2018). Secondary Students’ Perceptions of Open Science Textbooks Secondary Students’ Perceptions of Open Science Textbooks. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 1(4), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.455
Ngwenya, J., & Arek-Bawa, O. (2019). Exploring the quality of Grade 12 accounting education textbooks. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 15(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.20853/34-1-3370
Salam, N. H. A., & Shahrill, M. (2014). Examining classroom interactions in secondary mathematics classrooms in Brunei Darussalam. Asian Social Science, 10(11), 92-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v10n11p92
Schulze, S. (2003). Research methodology: Study Guide. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Stephenson, S. S. (2017). Accounting Community of Practice pedagogy: a course management invention for developing personal competencies in accounting education. Accounting Education, 26(1), 3-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2016.1247008
Sunday, A. S. (2014). Mathematics textbook analysis: A study on recommended mathematics textbooks in school use in the southwestern states of Nigeria. European Scientific Journal Special Edition, 1, 140-151.
Swanepoel, S. (2010). The assessment of the quality of science education textbooks: conceptual framework and instruments for analysis (Doctoral Thesis). University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Tarmana, B., & Kuran, B. (2015). Examination of the cognitive level of questions in social studies textbooks and the views of teachers based on Bloom taxonomy. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(1), 213-222. https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2015.1.2625
Terblanche, E. A. J., & de Clercq, B. (2020). Factors to consider for effective critical thinking development in auditing students. South African Journal of Accounting Research, 34(2), 96-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/10291954.2019.1669293
Yang, D. C., & Sianturi, I.A. (2017). An analysis of Singaporean versus Indonesian textbooks based on trigonometry content. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, 13(7), 3829–3848. https://doi.org/10.12973/ eurasia.2017.00760a
Yang, D., Wang, Z., & Xu, D. (2015). A comparison of questions and tasks in geography textbooks before and after curriculum reform in China. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 5(3), 231–248.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
e-ISSN: 1694-2116
p-ISSN: 1694-2493