Papers by L Peta Myers, PhD
South African Journal of Accounting Research
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
South African Journal of Accounting Research
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
South African Journal of Accounting Research
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
SAAA Teaching and Learning Conference, 2018
Academics in the field of accounting often discuss whether their students memorise or understand ... more Academics in the field of accounting often discuss whether their students memorise or understand the concepts being taught. While these topics are probably not new, this paper may introduce the topic of metacognition to some academics. While metacognition is itself not a new concept, educators in the field of Accounting Education do not appear to have shown much interest in it. The aims of the paper are therefore twofold. Firstly to improve Accounting academics' awareness of the differences between memorizing and understanding and creating an awareness of all aspects of metacognition so that they in turn can share this awareness with their students. Secondly to determine whether students in an introductory accounting class appeared to exhibit memorizing, understanding or metacognition during their studies. During the course of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, research participants in an introductory accounting class discussed how they constructed knowledge in the discipline and how they constructed solutions to examples and how they prepared for examinations. In this paper I have attempted to understand whether these students were memorising or understanding their work and the degree to which they were demonstrating metacognition. In the study, research participants were purposefully selected according to their first semester final marks. They were placed into three categories of less, more and very successful academically. Those in the academically 'less successful' group on the whole seemed to rely on memorising, did not seem to understand the value of understanding their work and they showed little evidence of developing metacognition. Participants in the 'more successful' group worked towards understanding selected topics and showed evidence of developing metacognitive.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Passing the introductory accounting semester is often seen as a challenge for first year
students... more Passing the introductory accounting semester is often seen as a challenge for first year
students. Being aware of both effective and ineffective ways of constructing knowledge
in a discipline with a hierarchical knowledge structure will be of value to students and
teachers alike in assisting in the development of effective styles of learning. This article,
which is part of a larger body of research, analyses how students in an introductory
financial accounting class at Rhodes University constructed knowledge. Previous
research described the course as having a hierarchical knowledge structure.
In this research, first year accounting students at Rhodes University were
interviewed to gain an improved understanding of how they constructed knowledge
in this course. This article describes how students who were successful in passing this
semester course used similar, effective ways of constructing knowledge, while
students who were not successful also employed similar but less effective ways of
constructing knowledge. These different ways of constructing knowledge, both
effective and ineffective, were analysed, using the Bernstein’s pedagogic device and
Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory.
This article provides those involved in teaching and learning in a discipline with a
hierarchical knowledge structure, with a theoretical explanation of why some methods
of constructing knowledge are more effective than others. Understanding and being
explicit about more (and less) effective ways of constructing knowledge in a course
with a hierarchical knowledge structure can guide those involved in teaching and
learning to improve results.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The structure of knowledge within a discipline has implications for the teaching and learning wit... more The structure of knowledge within a discipline has implications for the teaching and learning within the discipline. This research examines how the hierarchical knowledge structure found in accounting impacts on the teaching and learning which takes place in the first-semester introductory financial accounting course. Students used online questionnaires and interviews to explain how they engaged with the discipline and describe the difficulties they experienced during the semester. Bernstein's pedagogic device and Maton's Legitimation Code Theory were used to analyse the structure of knowledge within the discipline and as theoretical lenses through which to view these students' perceptions. This research provides a theoretical explanation for the impact that a hierarchical knowledge structure has on teaching and learning within the discipline; how students need to develop a " trained gaze " and thereby gain mastery over the " procedures of investigation " to be able to produce the " legitimate text " required for success in the course. This research also explains why some students experience a " code clash " and the implications this has for their success in the discipline. Other pedagogical difficulties which were experienced by these students, as a result of the hierarchical knowledge structure within the discipline, are also discussed. In addition to providing a better understanding of the phenomena that drive or hinder student learning, which could contribute towards improving pedagogy and hence student learning, theorising these concepts provides a common language to enable more informed debate on these issues. Introduction This article is based on aspects of a larger piece of research which investigated the structure of knowledge, and how students constructed knowledge, in the first-semester introductory financial accounting course. The research was undertaken to investigate why some students seem to struggle with the discipline and what could be done to assist these students in successfully completing the course. The focus of this article, based on the results which emerged from the research, is the implications of the structure of knowledge in accounting for the teaching and learning in a first semester course.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Teaching accounting to first year university students in higher education institutions is becomin... more Teaching accounting to first year university students in higher education institutions is becoming increasingly complex as we deal with increasing class sizes, increasing diversity and a student body which appears to be less inclined to study without external motivating factors, while to be successful in studying accounting requires more than passive learning. Our aim was to make our students active participants in their accounting studies. After studying established research into assessment and approaches to student learning, changes were made to our course to ensure increased and active participation from our students. Critical to this change was guiding students in making the shift from a surface approach to learning, to a deep approach to learning where they would engage with the subject matter in a manner more likely to result in truly understanding the concepts and principles being taught. An important part of implementing these changes was asking our students to evaluate the innovations after they had taken place. Feedback received from our students resulted in the use of a new and unplanned innovation in the form of the setting of regular mini-tests. This was arguably the most successful of all the interventions introduced during the year and resulted in our journey being more exciting and less predictable than expected.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
In teaching large classes, the educationally beneficial informal interaction between students and... more In teaching large classes, the educationally beneficial informal interaction between students and between lecturer and students is generally reduced, while effective use of both students’ and lecturer’s time is often a challenge.
During student consultations, especially over the already stressful test and examination periods, many of the questions asked by the students are the same or similar. The lecturer needs to respond to each query by providing the same detailed explanation for the problem, resulting in ineffective use of time for the lecturer, while students waste time waiting for an appointment, or more often, simply don’t bother to follow up on any queries they may have.
Having a social presence is important for students’ cognitive development, but in a large class posing questions or interrogating issues during a lecture appears to be challenging for many students. It is often not easy for students to initiate discussions or establish relationships with peers or the lecturer due to feelings of vulnerability and due to the size and impersonal atmosphere of the lecture theatre.
This paper deals with the introduction of online discussion forums in an introductory accounting course and the benefits and problems experienced by the students, tutors and lecturer as a result thereof. Feedback received from these participants is discussed.
The introduction and use of these forums resulted in a virtual classroom being created, where significantly more teaching and learning activities took place, to the benefit of all participants. Participation could have been peripheral -in the form of simply reading discussions; or active
– through posting questions, or responding to questions.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Papers by L Peta Myers, PhD
students. Being aware of both effective and ineffective ways of constructing knowledge
in a discipline with a hierarchical knowledge structure will be of value to students and
teachers alike in assisting in the development of effective styles of learning. This article,
which is part of a larger body of research, analyses how students in an introductory
financial accounting class at Rhodes University constructed knowledge. Previous
research described the course as having a hierarchical knowledge structure.
In this research, first year accounting students at Rhodes University were
interviewed to gain an improved understanding of how they constructed knowledge
in this course. This article describes how students who were successful in passing this
semester course used similar, effective ways of constructing knowledge, while
students who were not successful also employed similar but less effective ways of
constructing knowledge. These different ways of constructing knowledge, both
effective and ineffective, were analysed, using the Bernstein’s pedagogic device and
Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory.
This article provides those involved in teaching and learning in a discipline with a
hierarchical knowledge structure, with a theoretical explanation of why some methods
of constructing knowledge are more effective than others. Understanding and being
explicit about more (and less) effective ways of constructing knowledge in a course
with a hierarchical knowledge structure can guide those involved in teaching and
learning to improve results.
During student consultations, especially over the already stressful test and examination periods, many of the questions asked by the students are the same or similar. The lecturer needs to respond to each query by providing the same detailed explanation for the problem, resulting in ineffective use of time for the lecturer, while students waste time waiting for an appointment, or more often, simply don’t bother to follow up on any queries they may have.
Having a social presence is important for students’ cognitive development, but in a large class posing questions or interrogating issues during a lecture appears to be challenging for many students. It is often not easy for students to initiate discussions or establish relationships with peers or the lecturer due to feelings of vulnerability and due to the size and impersonal atmosphere of the lecture theatre.
This paper deals with the introduction of online discussion forums in an introductory accounting course and the benefits and problems experienced by the students, tutors and lecturer as a result thereof. Feedback received from these participants is discussed.
The introduction and use of these forums resulted in a virtual classroom being created, where significantly more teaching and learning activities took place, to the benefit of all participants. Participation could have been peripheral -in the form of simply reading discussions; or active
– through posting questions, or responding to questions.
students. Being aware of both effective and ineffective ways of constructing knowledge
in a discipline with a hierarchical knowledge structure will be of value to students and
teachers alike in assisting in the development of effective styles of learning. This article,
which is part of a larger body of research, analyses how students in an introductory
financial accounting class at Rhodes University constructed knowledge. Previous
research described the course as having a hierarchical knowledge structure.
In this research, first year accounting students at Rhodes University were
interviewed to gain an improved understanding of how they constructed knowledge
in this course. This article describes how students who were successful in passing this
semester course used similar, effective ways of constructing knowledge, while
students who were not successful also employed similar but less effective ways of
constructing knowledge. These different ways of constructing knowledge, both
effective and ineffective, were analysed, using the Bernstein’s pedagogic device and
Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory.
This article provides those involved in teaching and learning in a discipline with a
hierarchical knowledge structure, with a theoretical explanation of why some methods
of constructing knowledge are more effective than others. Understanding and being
explicit about more (and less) effective ways of constructing knowledge in a course
with a hierarchical knowledge structure can guide those involved in teaching and
learning to improve results.
During student consultations, especially over the already stressful test and examination periods, many of the questions asked by the students are the same or similar. The lecturer needs to respond to each query by providing the same detailed explanation for the problem, resulting in ineffective use of time for the lecturer, while students waste time waiting for an appointment, or more often, simply don’t bother to follow up on any queries they may have.
Having a social presence is important for students’ cognitive development, but in a large class posing questions or interrogating issues during a lecture appears to be challenging for many students. It is often not easy for students to initiate discussions or establish relationships with peers or the lecturer due to feelings of vulnerability and due to the size and impersonal atmosphere of the lecture theatre.
This paper deals with the introduction of online discussion forums in an introductory accounting course and the benefits and problems experienced by the students, tutors and lecturer as a result thereof. Feedback received from these participants is discussed.
The introduction and use of these forums resulted in a virtual classroom being created, where significantly more teaching and learning activities took place, to the benefit of all participants. Participation could have been peripheral -in the form of simply reading discussions; or active
– through posting questions, or responding to questions.