Using Collaborative Learning Exercises To Transfer Pervasive Skills: Some South African Evidence

Abstract

The Competency Framework, introduced by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) details technical competencies, but also places emphasis on the pervasive skills that need to be attained by candidates for them to qualify as chartered accountants (CAs). Thus, an additional onus has been placed on academics to ensure that they use suitable methods to equip aspirant CAs with pervasive skills. The objective of the study is twofold: (a) to determine, using a literature review, whether collaborative learning exercises can effectively develop SAICA’s pervasive skills and (b) to provide evidence, by means of a questionnaire, on the extent to which SAICA-accredited academics use collaborative learning exercises and how effective they view this method to be in transferring pervasive skills to students. The literature review found strong support for collaborative learning exercises being effective in the development of all pervasive skills. However, the empirical work provided evidence that not all academics employ collaborative learning exercises in their academic programmes and not all consider this method effective in attaining SAICA’s pervasive skills. While this apparent shortcoming may exist, there is potential for academics to work in collaboration with each other and SAICA on methods that can result in the transfer of pervasive skills to students.