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-intime 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.