Undergraduate accounting students instructional preferences in Australia and Zimbabwe: A comparative study

This study examines the instructional preferences exhibited by students in an Australian and Zimbabwean setting. Using graphical and textual presentations, an experiment with three instructional designs and 217 undergraduate students, this study empirically examines student understanding of financial accounting in the two countries. Student’s performance scores and reported mental effort ratings were used to determine the instructional preference. The findings of this comparative study show that Australian accounting students prefer graph and text designs that require self-management while Zimbabwean students prefer integrated graphical and textual designs. The results suggest that educators need to cater for differences in the way people see the world in the design of accounting instructional material.