EFFECTIVENESS OF PRACTICAL ACCOUNTING TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study examines the efficacies of the practical accounting training programmes of secondary school students in Anambra State in Nigeria to fill the gap between academic accounting education and financial literacy in the real world. The research examines the effect of hands-on training on students in terms of their knowledge in accounting, barriers to its implementation, perception of the teachers, and students of this approach. The design was that of a mixed methodology, with pre-and post-test design, based on the West African Examination Council (WAEC) syllabus, interviews with the teachers, focus group discussions (FGD) with students and questionnaires. The sample of the research consisted of 120 students and 20 teachers in six secondary school in Anambra State. Results showed that there was also a significant increase in accounting skills among the students (p < 0.05), with the mean post-test score being 78% up to 52% during pre-test. There were positive reports about practical training but the teachers revealed issues related to shortages of resources and insufficient training. Students gave positive responses on hands-on learning (85%). Some of the key obstacles are a lack of funding, outdated material and very few teaching aids. The paper suggests reform of the curriculum, education of teachers and more funding to develop practical education in accounting. Research findings can be put into place to help in aligning the secondary education to the economic needs of Anambra, including financial literacy and entrepreneurial expertise. To recommend these reforms, we prepared a policy brief that we handed over to the Anambra State Ministry of Education.