A qualitative study of problem-based learning in accounting education and its effect on career preparation

The purpose of the multiple-case study is to determine the perception of six faculty members if PBL assists with career-preparedness. The general problem is that some accounting graduates lack practical experience and competencies in problem-solving. The main problem is to what extent does accounting faculty believe that (PBL) instructional strategies support career preparedness among accounting students? Kolb's Experiential Theory, Dewey's Experiential Theory, and Engelmann's Theory on Direct teaching are the theoretical framework. The main research question was: To what extent does accounting faculty believe that (PBL) instructional strategies support career-preparedness among accounting students? The following are the three sub-questions: 1.How can educators use (PBL) instructional strategies to support problem-solving skills to meet employer expectations? 2. Would (PBL) instructional strategies improve career-preparedness among accounting students? 3. How can (PBL) support knowledge retention and mastery of accounting concepts within students?;An exploratory multiple case research method and purposive sampling was used. Triangulation consisted of a focus group, conference call, and observations. NVivo 10.0 was used to help code the interview data and organize emerging themes. The findings are themes such as pedagogy methods, real-world experience, knowledge retention, and critical-thinking and problem solving. Three sub-themes exist which are active learning, and improvements to curricula. PBL is promoted in the classroom and found as a useful tool in the classroom for career-preparedness. Conclusions are practicing more problems, having more current materials, and instructor's openness to change. Recommendations include bigger sampling, narrowing down PBL, and focusing on graduates.