Rethinking teaching modalities: Student experiences from a volatile period and HyFlex-aligned recommendations for future accounting education

Abstract

Accounting lecturers seem to have an ongoing resistance to adopting blended learning due to the belief that accounting is best taught in traditional settings. As accounting students experienced various teaching modalities (i.e. face-to-face, streaming, and recordings) before, during, and after COVID-19, this study explored these experiences and the students' recommendations for modalities after the pandemic. Fifteen interviews were conducted with accounting students at a South African university, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Students’ preferences, circumstances, and needs regarding teaching modalities post-COVID-19 varied, supporting flexibility and blended learning. Participants had different opinions on offering students a choice between multiple teaching modalities. This necessitates lecturers to reflect on their role in the teaching process and choose a modality (or combination of modalities) that will ensure optimal learning. This can be done by considering the different types of classes that are most important for pedagogy (e.g. theory or practical classes) and understanding the characteristics of students (e.g. undergraduate versus postgraduate). Participants recommended that practical classes should be face-to-face with recordings for review, while theory could rely on recordings. Undergraduate students may need more structure to promote attendance, while postgraduates prefer more flexible options. Framed within the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) context, the findings offer transferable, HyFlex-aligned guidance for teaching design in ever-changing environments. These insights support lecturers in reconsidering modalities to enhance student learning and better prepare graduates for a dynamic workplace.