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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the overall perceptions of accounting academics from Japan and Australia about global convergence of accounting education; and their beliefs about the contextual factors affecting the goal of global convergence.

The sample of this research was collected via a questionnaire-based survey of accounting academics who were teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate level in tertiary institutes in Japan and Australia. This study adapted the questionnaire originally used by Sugahara (2013) to extend the survey of accounting academics in Japan, to accounting academics in Australia. The questionnaire administered in this research asked their overall perceptions regarding the convergence of accounting education and associated contextual factors.

Findings reveal some similarities and differences across contextual factors that influence academic perceptions about global convergence. Further the authors identify a link between academic position and respondent views of global convergence.

The findings of this cross-country study provide insights for the International Accounting Education Standards Boards (IAESB) about the views of a key stakeholder group, accounting academics. Further the authors recommend the development of a communications strategy that targets accounting academics, and better explains the work of the IAESB and the intended value of global convergence using IES.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of a principles-based accounting standard with guidance (principles-with-guidance approach), stringency (conservativeness) of numerical thresholds, and incentives (high or low debt-equity ratio environment) on the judgments of Japanese auditors in a lease accounting setting.

To reflect Japanese auditors’ judgmental features, this study adopts a quasi-experiment that uses both manipulation for different environments (i.e. stable or critical financial condition) and perceptions about the importance of “principles” and “guidance” in different types of lease accounting standards (i.e. substantially all, approximately 90 and 88 percent).

“Principle” (substantially all) has a positive effect, while “guidance” (approximately 90 percent) has a negative effect on encouraging Japanese auditors to capitalize lease transactions. “More stringent guidance” (approximately 88 percent) has a positive effect only when clients are in critical financial conditions. Other findings indicate that judgments of Japanese auditors are strongly influenced by their colleagues’ perceived judgments.

This is the first quasi-experiment to examine Japanese auditors’ professional judgments using a lease accounting setting. To find out whether Japanese auditors interpret and apply International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the similar manner as their counterparts in other countries will be important when Japanese policymakers make their final decision regarding the adoption of IFRS. The discussion and findings also contribute to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) with regard to enhancing global convergence of financial reporting.

This research applies a quasi-experimental research method to investigate the impact of an innovative resource titled “Accounting Exercise” (teaching intervention using physical movement and lyrics) on learning motivation and performance on a group of students enrolled in a first-year undergraduate accounting course in Japan.

Five classes were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (two classes) or a control group (three classes). In the experimental group, 90 students participated in a 15-min “Accounting Exercise” at the commencement of lectures over three consecutive weeks. The remaining 133 students assigned to the control group did not participate in the Accounting Exercise.

The findings indicate that the Accounting Exercise provided stimuli in maintaining students’ learning motivation. This finding is important for entry-level students where learning motivation has the potential to influence students’ future decisions on major areas of study and career choices.

This finding is important for entry-level students where future career options are decided. This effect is also believed to contribute to reducing the declining numbers of students in accounting majors.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an accounting education pedagogy incorporating active learning approaches designed to engage first-year undergraduate business students and to aspire them to continue accounting as their academic major and entry into the accounting profession.

Data were collected from a questionnaire with a pre-/post-test design of 24 undergraduate business students enrolled in a course titled Accounting Active Learning Seminar (AALS) (test group) and 33 students who did not participate in the AALS (control group). The AALS incorporates various types of active learning methods designed by the authors to inspire students to continue with accounting as a career choice.

The findings show that participation in the AALS improved student’s motivation in accounting education and the likelihood of choosing accounting as their academic major. The active learning methods implemented in the AALS were effective in improving students’ confidence, of which degree contributed to students’ stronger works aspiration towards accounting professions. Further it was found that students who did not participate in the AALS tended to have lower attention dimensions of motivation, which was also significantly associated with lower percentage of students’ choice of academic major in accounting.

This is one of the few studies to empirically examine active learning on student engagement and performance with a focus on accounting. While the evidence shows that active learning has pedagogical benefits, the full potential of active learning is more likely to be realized when accounting educators design active learning carefully to address the “attention” and “confidence” attributes.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the accounting education systems in three countries – Australia, Japan and Sri Lanka – to inform the development and testing (by application) of a Global Model of Accounting Education.

An action research methodology is applied with a case study and model development approach.

The case studies reveal variations in accounting education systems, which exist across the three countries examined in this research. Key differences (some significant and others nuanced) were found between accounting education systems and include: entry requirements to professional programs; accreditation processes; and benchmark discipline standards. These differences are provided for in the questions that underpin the model developed and applied as a key part of the research.

This model is presented as a tool to assist interested parties in any country to take initial steps to identify their own unique system of accounting education. It may also be of particular use in those countries in the early stages of developing an accounting education system. This understanding of accounting education systems enhances the opportunity for global convergence of accounting education.

The model, informed by the case studies, is an original contribution to the literature and discussions around global convergence in accounting education. The model is designed for practical application and the value is that it provides an important starting point for considering issues of importance in the development of a system of accounting education, and/or, better understanding the similarities and differences across existing systems.

This study aims to investigate tertiary business students' perceptions of certified public accountants (CPAs) in Japan and how this perception may influence their career path decision.

This study is the first such research in Japan that has been conducted to investigate students' perception of various factors regarding the accounting profession and CPA. The data used in this study were collected via questionnaires completed by students who were studying at the undergraduate and graduate levels in large Japanese universities. From approximately 200 universities offering accounting courses in Japan, this study mainly selected universities where students were contemplating a career in the accounting profession. The results of the questionnaire were then quantitatively analyzed.

The results indicated significant differences in several factors of perceptions toward the CPA between accounting students and non‐accounting students. These results create various implications that need to be addressed in order to reverse the current situation of the problematic unpopularity towards the accounting sector in Japan.

As this is the first accounting education paper produced in Japan on this topic the results will inspire educators and the CPA to re‐think the way in which they market accounting as a profession to potential students.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing career intentions toward becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) by students who are studying at the accounting schools in Japan. This paper focused on students' work experience, prior major/s at their undergraduate level, gender, attitude toward the opportunity cost of becoming a CPA and their perceptions of the CPA profession.

The sample comprised students studying at 13 accounting schools in Japan. A questionnaire was given to these students in order to empirically examine the relationship between these influential factors and their career intention, with particular reference to those who intended to pursue a CPA career. Those studying in these accounting schools generally consist of two type of students; those who want to become a CPA and those who merely want to brush up on their accounting skills and do not wish to sit the CPA entrance exams. A total of 349 effective responses were analysed.

Findings indicate that students who have work experience and major in disciplines other than accounting or business are more reluctant to become a CPA. This is in direct contrast to one of the objectives for the CPA reform scheme in Japan, which is to extend the diversity of CPA candidature.

This paper is the first study undertaken in Japan to successfully provide a new dimension on the factors that influence career intention of students aspiring to become a CPA.

This study examines the perceptions of accounting faculties toward ethics education, the extent of ethics coverage and reasons why ethics should (or should not) be taught in Japanese tertiary schools. Data for this research was collected from faculties that primarily teach accounting in Japanese tertiary schools in 2009. The results indicate that over 90% of accounting faculties believe that ethics should be taught within the accounting curriculum. In terms of how ethics should be delivered survey participants believed in a more holistic approach, which would encompass the benefits of teaching it as both a stand-alone course and integrating it with other relevant courses. This outcome is in direct contrast to the results obtained from previous studies undertaken outside of Japan. Of particular interest was the fact that the current survey revealed that only 55.2% of respondents actually intend to incorporate ethics into their accounting courses in the foreseeable future. This research successfully adds value to the shortage of literature existing on the perceptions of ethics education among Japanese accounting faculties.

The objective of this paper is to explore undergraduate students' self‐efficacy of their generic skills in an attempt to identify whether a student's choice of a major in accounting develops these types of skills.

The present paper collected its data from a survey administered in September, 2007 to undergraduate students studying at an Australian university located in the nation's capital. The questionnaires were distributed to students who were enrolled in both a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. In these degrees, students can major in any business‐related subject including business administration, human relations, finance, financial planning, and accounting. From a total response of 174 students, 165 students were identified as effective respondents.

The findings have indicated that accounting programs produce a limited impact on improving students' self‐efficacy in relation to what is required in today's accounting profession. An improvement is found in one's self‐efficacy of analytical skills only. Further analysis confirmed that there are other stronger predictors such as job experiences and the native language of English, which will affect students' higher self‐efficacy of generic skills.

This paper successfully contributes to the literature on students' self‐efficacy by providing the first empirical evidence on the effect that an undergraduate accounting curriculum in Australia has on developing students' self‐efficacy of generic skills. Tertiary educators, by revamping current accounting programs, will assist future graduates develop a full range of generic skills that are necessary for them to compete in today's competitive accounting environment.

The purpose of this study is to examine empirically the relationship between cultural factors and students’ learning style preferences in the context of the current global convergence in accounting education.

Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and Hofstede's Value Survey Model for Young People were administered to 244 undergraduate students studying accounting in Japanese, Australian and Belgian universities.

The outcome of this research revealed that the student groups from Australia and Belgium tended to be more individualistic in their learning and were more willing to learn by doing, while Japanese students do not prefer to learn by doing, but prefer learning by watching.

The results might be of interest to accounting educators to assist them with the smooth introduction of the International Education Standards (IES) by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the International Accounting Education Standard Board (IAESB).