Student learning approaches to understanding financial statements

Students all encounter what appears to be the same teaching experience and yet have vastly different learning experiences. This problem is a growing one, given the ‘massification’ of higher education. This paper examines variation in student learning in accounting. Three student cohorts were interviewed, after completion of an accounting assignment, about the way in which they approached the assignment. From the phenomenographic analysis of transcripts three aspects of approach/experience were identified: group work; theory to practice and understanding financial statements. These three approaches were matched against Biggs 3P’s of student learning, presage, process, and product. The majority of students responded at the lower order or surface levels of approach across all three aspects. This however was not consistent across all cohorts where the educational and cultural background of the particular cohorts led to differing concentrations of student responses. The accounting profession and its dissatisfaction with current levels of generic skills demonstrated by accounting graduates, and the resultant pressure being placed on academics, is also explored.