BUSINESS EDUCATORS’ RATINGS OF TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

The study identified business educators’ ratings of teaching strategies for improving students’ academic performance in financial accounting in colleges of education in South East Nigeria. Two research questions guided the study, while two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 84 business educators from colleges of education in South-East, Nigeria. Data was collected using a 17-item validated questionnaire. The questionnaire was structured on a 5-point rating scale. The reliability of the instrument was ensured using pilot test technique, which was analyzed using Cronbach Alpha method that yielded an overall reliability co-efficient of 0.86. Data related to the research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while z-test tools were used to test the null hypotheses. The findings revealed that cooperative and just-in-time learning strategies were rated at a very low extent. Gender did not affect business educators’ rating of cooperative learning strategy while gender affected business educators’ ratings of Just-in-Time learning strategy. It is concluded that teaching strategies for teaching financial accounting in colleges of education in South-East Nigeria were rated at low extent and very low extent. It is also concluded that gender affected the ratings of just-in-time learning strategy, while cooperative, learning strategy were not affected by gender. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that business educators should be mandated to apply the cooperative and Just-in-Time learning strategies for teaching financial accounting in various colleges of education in South East Nigeria to improve students’ academic performance. Business educators in colleges of education in South East Nigeria should be encouraged and educate their fellow business educators on the importance and use of discovery learning strategy as a teaching strategy for improving students’ academic performance in financial accounting. Most teachers should be coaxed to apply the Just‒in‒time teaching strategy owing to the fact that they still give in to technophobia and also show incompetence in the use of modern teaching technologies.

 

Key words: Business educators, teaching strategies, academic performance, financial accounting and colleges of education