Teaching Strategies and Senior High School Accounting Students’ Academic Performance: The Case of Some Selected Schools in the Wa Township.

Abstract

In Ghana, teachers in the various Senior high schools (SHSs) have employed various teacher-centered and student-centered strategies. However, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) results showed that the performance of financial accounting students in the Wa Township in the Upper West Region has been appalling for some time now. The study therefore examined various teaching strategies and how they influence the academic performance of students in Financial Accounting. Three SHSs were selected in a mixed method research approach. A descriptive survey was used. A simple random sampling, informed by the Yamane sample selection approach, was used to select 179 second and third-year financial accounting students. Besides, 9 accounting teachers were interviewed as part of the study. Data collection was facilitated using questionnaires and interview guides as the primary instruments. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were employed in the data analysis. The study revealed that various teaching strategies, including lecture-based instruction, explanatory examples, real-world examples, case studies, group projects, technology integration, and cooperative learning, were employed in the instruction of financial accounting. The study further found that demonstration methods, group projects, role playing, and cooperative learning significantly influence students' academic performance. In contrast, lecture-based instruction, guided practice, explanatory examples, visual aids, case studies, and technology integration do not significantly influence students’ academic performance. It was recommended that the Ministry of Education through periodic in-service training should encourage teachers to integrate impactful teacher-centered methods, such as demonstration methods with student-centered strategies including, group projects, role-playing, and cooperative learning to enhance comprehensive learning and meet the diverse needs of students. The Ministry of Education and stakeholders such as school administrators, and teachers, are urged to adopt a teacher-centered and student-centered approach to financial accounting teaching in Wa township, focusing on regular assessment, feedback, and innovative techniques.