Exploring perceived experiences of certificate in the theory of accounting (CTA) registered students and accounting lecturers on the implemented flipped classroom approach at a university in the Eastern Cape.

Abstract

While various studies have explored students’ perceptions of the flipped classroom approach within the context of accounting education in South African universities (Mulder & Van Oordt, 2015; Lubbe, 2016; Van Niekerk & Delport, 2022; Sexton & Rudman, 2022; Steenkamp & Van Schalkwyk, 2023; Winfield & Whitelaw, 2024), little is known about lecturers’ perceptions about the flipped classroom and most the studies were conducted for undergraduate programmes. Most of these studies were conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic and examined the use of the flipped classroom as an intervention for a specific module within a particular qualification. These perceptions could potentially change as a result of universities adopting blended learning during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate both the postgraduate accounting students’ and their lecturers’ perceptions of a postCovid-19 flipped classroom approach implemented at a university in the Eastern Cape. A mixed-methods approach was employed in this study, and within this approach, a convergent parallel research design was selected. To solicit students’ perceptions of the flipped classroom approach, an online questionnaire was used, consisting of both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Interviews were also held with lecturers using a semi-structured interview guide to solicit their perceptions. The results of this study revealed that students perceived the flipped classroom as enabling self-regulated learning, peer learning, and the development of lifelong learning skills. However, students expressed that the flipped classroom increased their workload, and the effectiveness of the flipped session heavily depended on completing the pre-classroom activities. For the lecturers, the results revealed that the flipped classroom has enabled them to respond to students’ learning needs, focus on higher-order thinking skills, and lead to the development of some of the enabling competencies. However, the study also revealed that the implementation of flipped classrooms has increased the workload of lecturers. This study provides valuable insights for universities that want to implement the flipped classroom as their pedagogical approach, as it examines both students and lecturers. However, despite the rich insights, this study was conducted using a small sample (65 students and five lecturers), which could limit the generalisability of the findings.