Trigger Points: Enhancing Generic Skills in Accounting Education Through Changes to Teaching Practices

In 2001 a small Australian university implement particular intervention strategies designed to improvespecific educational outcomes in its accounting degree program. These outcomes mirrored the three coreareas of the Graduate Careers Council of Australia’s Course Experience Questionnaire: (1) good teaching,(2) overall satisfaction, and (3) generic skills. Five areas were identified for intervention: (1) the effectiveallocation of full-time staff, (2) the effective use of sessional staff, (3) greater commitment by sessional staff,(4) the introduction of common subject outlines, and (5) the proactive response to student evaluations. Theresults indicate a statistically significant improvement in 2003 in the three core areas, supporting theargument that improving student satisfaction with their educational experience will improve studentoutcomes. A similar, but less significant, improvement of grades in the three final year accounting subjectswas identified. Suggestions for the decline from 2004 are also explored.