Fostering undergraduate accounting students’ educational attainment through CT-enhanced collaborative project-based learning

Abstract

Reports suggest that revolutionary instructional approaches are required to effectively cultivate essential competencies in students as automation takes over traditional accounting education. Collaborative project-based learning (CPjBL) serves as an alternative educational approach that helps develop essential accounting competencies. Nonetheless, its shortcomings in execution continue to be debated. Consequently, the computational thinking (CT) concept is proposed to facilitate the implementation of CPjBL. This research seeks to investigate the integration of the CT concept into CPjBL among undergraduate accounting students, focusing on educational attainment, such as engagement and achievement. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, incorporating a quantitative quasi-experimental design and qualitative semi-structured interviews. The control group comprised 23 students, while the experimental group included 24 students. The control group engaged in conventional CPjBL, whereas the experimental group participated in CT-enhanced CPjBL. All individuals are enrolled in the undergraduate accounting program at an Indonesian private university. Data were collected using a questionnaire and student scores. The results indicate that CT-enhanced CPBL demonstrated a more favorable effect on fostering student educational attainment compared to conventional CPjBL. The outcomes of this research may advance theories and practices related to the recent investigation of CT utilization as a paradigm within CPjBL, benefiting educators and educational institutions.