Integrating Experiential Learning in an Introductory Financial Accounting Course to Enhance Learning: The FIFA Approach

Abstract

The Fieldwork Introductory Financial Accounting [FIFA] approach was introduced to resolve the problem of lack of understanding of basic financial accounting among accounting students with no background in accounting for the Financial Accounting 1 (FAR 110) course. The FIFA approach stemmed from the initiative of the teaching lecturers to enhance students' understanding of the most significant and elementary accounting knowledge: (i) identification and classification of accounting elements (assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses & equities), and (ii) sources of documents. The main purpose of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of the FIFA approach in enhancing students' understanding throughout an introductory financial accounting course. A total of 79 students participated in this study, and were divided into 2 groups; the treatment group and the control group. The experimental design using a non-randomised control group pre-test-post-test design was utilised. This study revealed that the FIFA approach significantly enhanced the students' understanding of the most significant elementary accounting knowledge, which comprises identification and classification of accounting elements and sources of documents. The findings are expected to benefit higher-education institutions, particularly accounting academics and curriculum coordinators when performing Accounting-curriculum revision so as to embed the FIFA approach in their introductory accounting courses. Moreover, the results of this study are expected to encourage countless educators to incorporate more learning activities associated with the active-learning approach and pedagogies beyond the four walls, which could boost students' knowledge and skills. The findings of this study also provide evidence on how real-world exposure is vital in order to facilitate accounting knowledge and understanding.