Accounting graduates and the capabilities that count: Perceptions of graduates, employers and Accounting academics in four Australian universities

Beverley Oliver; Barbara Whelan; Lynne Hunt; Sara Hammer

doi:10.21153/jtlge2011vol2no1art550

Authors

Beverley Oliver Curtin University, Australia
Barbara Whelan Curtin University, Australia
Lynne Hunt University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Sara Hammer University of Southern Queensland, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2011vol2no1art550

Keywords:

graduate employability, capabilities, graduate, employer and faculty perspectives

Abstract

The higher education sector in Australia is moving rapidly towards greater accountability in regard to graduate employability outcomes. Currently, data on new graduates' self-reported generic skills and employment status provide the evidence base for universities to make judgements about the effectiveness of curricula in preparing students for employment. This paper discusses alternative sources of evidence, namely the Graduate Employability Indicators (GEI) - a suite of three online surveys designed to supplement current indicators. They are designed to gather and report graduate, employer and course (teaching) team perceptions of the achievement and importance of graduate capabilities within specific degree programs. In 2009 and 2010, the surveys were administered to stakeholder groups associated with Accounting degrees in four Australian universities. In total, 316 graduates, 99 employers and 51 members of the course teaching teams responded to the surveys. This report presents the aggregated results from the trial. These suggest that the fourteen capabilities at the heart of the GEI are considered important, and that both quantitative and qualitative items facilitate the reporting of essential information. Both Accounting employers and teaching staff consider that important capabilities need to be better demonstrated by new graduates. The graduates themselves identified ways in which their courses can be improved to enhance their early professional success. An importance-performance analysis suggests prioritising particular capabilities for immediate attention in particular, work related knowledge and skills, writing clearly and effectively, thinking critically and analytically, solving complex, real-world problems and developing general industry awareness. This paper suggests that an enhanced industry focus might be effected through authentic assessment tasks, and clear identification of the capabilities developed through the curriculum.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Ainley, J., & Johnson, T. (2000). Course Experience Questionnaire 2000: An interim report prepared for the Graduate Careers Council of Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research.

Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2004). Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP): Essential Learning Outcomes. Retrieved 4 September 2010 from http://www.aacu.org/leap/

Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2005). Liberal Education Outcomes: A Preliminary Report on Student Achievement in College. Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Retrieved 4 September 2010 from http://www.aacu.org/leap/pdfs/LEAP_Report_FINAL.pdf

Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2007). College learning for the new global century: A report from the National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and America's Promise. Retrieved 20 July, 2010 from http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/GlobalCentury_final.pdf

Australian Council for Educational Research. (2005). Graduate Skills Assessment. Retrieved 28 November 2010 from http://www.acer.edu.au/tests/university/gsa/intro.html

Barrie, S., Hughes, C., & Smith, C. (2009). The National Graduate Attributes Project: Integration and assessment of graduate attributes in curriculum. Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching Council

Coates, H. (2009). Engaging Students for Success: Australasian Student Engagement Report. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

Coates, H., & Edwards, D. (2009). The 2008 Graduate Pathways Survey: Graduates' education and employment outcomes five year after completion of a bachelor degree at an Australian university. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research. Retrieved 12 December 2010 from http://forms.acer.edu.au/documents/GPS_FullReport.pdf

Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2010). Mission based compacts explanatory paper. Canberra: DEEWR. Retrieved 22 January 2010 from http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Policy/Documents/FinalCompactT emplate.pdf

Evans, E. (2010). Jurisdictional Disputes in Accounting: Education or Training? In E. Evans, R. Burritt & J. Guthrie (Eds.), Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010 (pp. 80-89). Sydney: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Freeman, M. (2010). Setting Discipline Standards for Accounting Education, Learning and Teaching. In E. Evans, R. Burritt & J. Guthrie (Eds.), Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010 (pp. 41-53). Sydney: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Gonzalez, J., & Wagenaar, R. (2008). Universities' contribution to the Bologna Process. Spain: Tuning Project.

Hancock, P., Howieson, B., Kavanagh, M., Kent, J., Tempone, I., & Segal, N. (2010). Accounting for the Future. In E. Evans, R. Burritt & J. Guthrie (Eds.), Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010 (pp. 54-62). Sydney: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Harvey, L. (2005). Embedding and integrating employability. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2005(128), 13-28. Retrieved 10 December 2010 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ir.160

Herrington, J., Oliver, R., & Reeves, T. C. (2003). Patterns of engagement in authentic online learning environments. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1), 59-71. Retrieved 12 December 2010 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet19/herrington.html

Knight, P., & Yorke, M. (2004). Learning, Curriculum and Employability in Higher Education. London: Routledge Farmer.

Kuh, G. D. (2001). The National Survey of Student Engagement: Conceptual framework and overview of psychometric properties. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research.

Lightbody, M. (2010). The Impact of Accreditation on Accounting Education in 2010. In E. Evans, R. Burritt & J. Guthrie (Eds.), Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010 (pp. 29-34). Sydney: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Martilla, J. A., & James, J. C. (1977). Importance-Performance Analysis. The Journal of Marketing, 41(1), 77-79.

McInnis, C., Griffin, P., James, R., & Coates, H. (2001). Development of the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ): Evaluations and Investigations Programme, Higher Education Division, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

Milburn, C. (2010, 15 March). Uni survey finds job focus is missing. The Age. Retrieved 22 November 2010 from http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/uni-survey-finds-job-focus-ismissing-20100314-q5x9.html

Miller, R., & Leskes, A. (2005). Levels of Assessment: From the Student to the Institution. Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Nicoll, C. (2010, 1 September). Fields determine how standards shift. The Australian. Retrieved 22 November 2010 from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/highereducation/opinion-analysis/fields-determine-how-standards-shift/storye6frgcko-1225912502783

Parker, L. D. (2010). Introducing the Commercialised University Environment: Preliminary Reflections on the Trajectory of Change. In E. Evans, R. Burritt & J. Guthrie (Eds.), Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010 (pp. 16-21). Sydney: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Precision Consulting. (2007). Graduate employability skills. Melbourne: Business, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council. Retrieved 12 January 2010 from http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/E58EFDBE-BA83-430E-A5412E91BCB59DF1/20214/GraduateEmployabilitySkillsFINALREPORT1.pdf

Quality Assurance Agency. (n.d.). Subject benchmark statements. Retrieved 10 May, 2010 from http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/default.asp

Radloff, A., de la Harpe, B., Scoufis, M., Dalton, H., Thomas, J., Lawson, A., et al. (2009). The B Factor Project: Understanding academic staff beliefs about graduate attributes. Melbourne: Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

Ramsden, P. (1999). The CEQ looking back and forward. In Course Experience Questionnaire Symposium 1998 Proceedings, T.Hand & K.Trembath (Eds.), Department of Training and Youth Affairs. Sydney : The University of New South Wales)

Richardson, J. T. E. (2005). Instruments for obtaining student feedback: A review of the literature. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 30(4), 387415.

Ryan, S. (2010). Business and Accounting Education: Do They Have a Future in the University? In E. Evans, R. Burritt & J. Guthrie (Eds.), Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010 (pp. 22-28). Sydney: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Scott, G. (2005). Accessing the student voice: Using CEQuery to identify what retains students and promotes engagement in productive learning in Australian higher education: HEIP. Retrieved 22 November 2010 from http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/publications_resources/profiles/access_student_voice.htm

Stephenson, J. (1998). The concept of capability and its importance in higher education. In J. Stephenson & M. Yorke (Eds.), Capability and quality in higher education (pp. 1-13). London: Kogan Page. & R.

Wagenaar (Eds.), Universities' contribution to the Bologna Process (2nd ed., pp. 25-54). Spain: Tuning Project.

Whelan, B., Oliver, B., Hunt, L., Hammer, S., Jones, S., & Pearce, A. (2010). Capturing stakeholder perceptions of graduate capability development: Challenges associated with Graduate Employability Indicators. Paper presented at the Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) Conference, Perth. Retrieved 29 January 2010 from http://www.acen.edu.au/conferences/ACEN-2010-Proceedings.pdf

Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: what it is - what it is not. Learning and Employability Series 1. York, UK: Higher Education Academy.