| Title | Chapter 8: School management and leadership capabilities in enhancing learners’ performance in Accounting |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2025.BK497.08 |
| Landing page | https://books.aosis.co.za/index.php/ob/catalog/book/497 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Martha Matashu, Lilian I Nwosu & Calvin Mahlaule (eds.). Licensee: AOSIS (Pty) Ltd. The moral rights of the editors and authors have been asserted. |
| Publisher | AOSIS |
| Published on | 2025-09-15 |
| Long abstract | The school’s goals, vision and aims are enhanced through effective school management. To create an educational environment conducive to optimal teaching and learning, it is essential to have a leader who understands and can apply relevant educational leadership and management theories within the school context. There is a need for a concrete understanding of the development of management capabilities as a human capability using principles from management theories in Accounting education research. School leaders have also not grasped the contribution or relevance of management theory in enhancing performance. This visible gap motivated this study to explore how management theory can be utilised in Accounting education research to enhance learners’ performance through improved school leadership and management capabilities. A pragmatic research paradigm was adopted in this study as it focuses on solving practical problems in the ‘real world’ by creating solutions to the problem investigated. This chapter presents an Accounting education case study utilising an explanatory sequential approach. Initially, a quantitative technique was employed to collect and analyse data. Subsequently, qualitative data were gathered to validate the findings and identify emerging themes from the quantitative results. Findings show that one of the most critical management tasks in developing human capabilities that may enhance Accounting learners’ performance is to work with people, understand them and be able to provide support in teaching and learning. The study concludes that enhancing the capabilities of management involved in teaching and learning accounting can be achieved through planning goals and supporting structures in place to train educators in the dialectical approaches to teaching. |
| Print length | 19 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| THEMA |
|
| BIC |
|
| Funding |
Lilian Ifunanya Nwosu is an associate professor in Accountancy at NWU, South Africa. Her research interests include accountancy, instructional leadership and management, school governing bodies, curriculum studies and Accounting education. She earned a Diploma in Accounting Education from the Federal College of Education in Nigeria and holds several degrees from NWU: a BCom, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and an Honours degree in Educational Management. Additionally, she has an Honours degree in Financial Accounting from Unisa and an MPhil in Accounting Sciences from Unisa, as well as an MA in Education Management with a specialisation in Accounting Education from NWU. She obtained her PhD in Educational Management and Leadership, majoring in Accounting Education, from NWU. She is an accredited assessor and moderator, a member of SAIPA and a tax practitioner. Nwosu has published approximately 36 research papers, including articles, book chapters and conference proceedings. She serves on the Scientific Committee, Ethics Committee and Higher Degrees Committee at NWU. She has collaborated with internal and local partners on writing and publishing research projects. Her research and teaching experience contributed to her receiving the Faculty Teaching Award in 2023 in the field of Accounting Sciences at the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, NWU. She expresses gratitude to God for the academic achievements she has made throughout her career.
Martha Matashu is an associate professor and director at the School of Commerce and Social Studies Education in the Faculty of Education at NWU, South Africa. She holds a PhD in Corporate Governance, an MBA, a BCom (Hons), a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a PGCE and a certificate from the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments (CISI). She is an interdisciplinary researcher whose interests focus on human capital, capabilities, finance, economic development, education economics and law. As an academic scholar and researcher, she has published several as both a keynote and guest speaker. Additionally, she is a co-editor of books and an author of book chapters. She has supervised several PhD and MA degrees to completion and serves as an external examiner for numerous postgraduate theses and dissertations, as well as an external moderator for many universities. Matashu has been a member of several committees within the university, which has broadened her understanding of higher education governance and leadership. She has work experience as an accountant, teacher and lecturer in Accounting, Finance and various other commerce-related subjects. Her expertise includes external programme evaluation and the design and development of academic programmes. She has completed several accredited Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA) courses and attended numerous professional development workshops and training sessions. She also holds a Management Executive Education Certificate in Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America (USA). She is one of the founding and executive committee members of the South African Association of Commerce Education (SAACE).
Thomas Edwin Buabeng Assan is currently an extraordinary professor at NWU, South Africa, with over 39 years of experience in business sciences education, research, project management and e-learning. He has specialised in business sciences and educational management. His current focus includes postgraduate supervision, research on classroom instructional practices, curriculum initiatives and academic programme evaluations. He has served on various research, scientific, ethics and higher education committees and has extensive undergraduate teaching and research experience. Assan obtained a Diploma in Education and a BCom (Hons) from Cape Coast University, a BEd from Unisa, a Master’s in Economic Sciences Education from the University of London, an MEd in Guidance and Counselling from NWU, an MBA from the Management College of South Africa (MANCOSA) and a PhD in Teacher Education with a focus on Economic Sciences. He is an accredited assessor and moderator and has coordinated Accounting education modules while engaging in study guide development. He has successfully supervised and graduated numerous MA and PhD students from NWU and other institutions. Passionate about his career, he is driven and goal-oriented, possessing strong management skills that enable him to lead a team to success.