An Analysis Of Teachers’ Perspectives on the Use of Google Classroom to Enhance Assessment for Learning in Accounting
Issue: Vol.4 No.12 Special Issue Article 4 pp.43-54
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234125 | Published online 30th November, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The introduction of educational technology has transformed the assessment practices of Accounting teachers. The advent of technology has created space for Accounting teachers to design meaningful Assessment for Learning (AfL) tasks using technology platforms such as Google Classroom. Google Classroom can be used to create meaningful learning environments that facilitate the development of the necessary 21st-century skills and competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-management and self-competence. However, nearly a decade after its introduction, Google Classroom is still minimally used in South African schools. This empirical study, therefore, explored the use of Google Classroom to enhance AfL in Accounting. The study used a qualitative research approach and Participatory Action Research as a research design to explore the use of Google Classroom as an AfL technique by Accounting teachers. As with other qualitative studies, focus group discussions were used to generate data from four purposefully selected Accounting teachers. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that Accounting teachers perceived Google Classroom to be an assessment technique which leads to effective teaching and learning because it provides a platform for learner active participation. Furthermore, the teachers displayed an interest in Google Classroom as a tool to facilitate meaningful teaching and learning, which enabled them to support and strengthen the learning of Accounting. It is recommended that teachers constantly use this platform as it allows learners to be assessed outside the boundaries of a physical classroom.
Keywords: Accounting, Assessment for Learning, Educational Technology, Google Classroom, Teaching and Learning, Participatory Action Research.
Anyanwu, Clinton Chidiebere, Desmond Wesley Govender, and Jabulisile Cynthia Ngwenya. “Integration of Technology in Business Education: Emerging Voices from Secondary School Classrooms in Nigeria.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 3, no. 5 (May 4, 2022): 160–74. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2022351.
Arek-Bawa, O. “Cognitive Demand of Assessment Activities in Level-One Financial Accounting Textbooks in Selected African Countries.” PhD diss., Doctoral dissertation University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2018.
Aspers, Patrik, and Ugo Corte. “What Is Qualitative in Qualitative Research.” Qualitative Sociology 42 (2019): 139–60.
Assessment Reform Group. Assessment for Learning: 10 Principles. London: Assessment Reform Group, 2002.
Azhar, Kaukab Abid, and Nayab Iqbal. “Effectiveness of Google Classroom: Teachers’ Perceptions.” Prizren Social Science Journal 2, no. 2 (2018): 52.
Beemt, Antoine Van Den, Marieke Thurlings, and Myrthe Willems. “Towards an Understanding of Social Media Use in the Classroom: A Literature Review.” Technology, Pedagogy and Education 29, no. 1 (2020): 35–55.
Black, Paul, and Dylan Wiliam. “Developing the Theory of Formative Assessment.” Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability (Formerly: Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education) 21 (2009): 5–31.
Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. “Reflecting on Reflexive Thematic Analysis.” Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 11, no. 4 (August 8, 2019): 589–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806.
Candela, Amber G. “Exploring the Function of Member Checking.” The Qualitative Report 24, no. 3 (2019): 619–28.
Davidson, Paul, and Y T Chong. “MS Classroom, Google Classroom & Allied Apps: Comparison from an Educational Perspective,” 2017.
Department of Basic Education. Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement: Grades 10-12. Pretoria: Government Printers, 2011.
———. National Senior Certificate Examination Report. Pretoria: Government Printers, 2019.
———. National Senior Certificate Examination Report. Pretoria: Government Printers, 2020.
———. National Senior Certificate Examination Report. Pretoria: Department printers, 2021.
———. National Senior Certificate Examination Report. Pretoria: Department printers, 2022.
Fang, Yantong, Dai Han, and Hong Luo. “A Virtual Reality Application for Assessment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in School-Aged Children.” Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2019, 1517–23.
Franklin, Hayley, and Ingrid Harrington. “A Review into Effective Classroom Management and Strategies for Student Engagement: Teacher and Student Roles in Today’s Classrooms.” Journal of Education and Training Studies, 2019.
Fuad, Muhammad, Farida Ariyani, Edi Suyanto, and Ari Syahidul Shidiq. “Exploring Teachers’ TPCK: Are Indonesian Language Teachers Ready for Online Learning during the COVID-19 Outbreak?” Universal Journal of Educational Research 8, no. 11B (2020): 6091–6102.
Google for Education. G Suite for Education. Mountain View, CA: Google, 2020.
Hendriks, Chris, and Grace F Dunn. “Factors That Influence Learners’ Performance in Grade 12 Accounting: A Case Study in the Northern Cape.” Koers 86, no. 1 (2021): 1–14.
Hill, D L. “Why to Avoid TV for Infants & Toddlers.” In American Academy Of, 2016.
Ilma, A Z, K Adhelacahya, and E Y Ekawati. “Assessment for Learning Model in Competency Assessment of 21st Century Student Assisted by Google Classroom.” In Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1805:012005. IOP Publishing, 2021.
Irons, Alastair, and Sam Elkington. Enhancing Learning through Formative Assessment and Feedback. Routledge, 2021.
Isaac, Batchman Ekure, Nathaniel Nnamdie Usoro, and Udoh Abasido Akpan. “Technical Teachers Role in the Effective Implementation of Technical College Curriculum.” Intercontinental Journal of Education, Science and Technology 4, no. 1 (2019): 53–60.
Jackson, Karen Moran, Suzy Pukys, Andrene Castro, Lorna Hermosura, Joanna Mendez, Shetal Vohra-Gupta, Yolanda Padilla, and Gabriela Morales. “Using the Transformative Paradigm to Conduct a Mixed Methods Needs Assessment of a Marginalized Community: Methodological Lessons and Implications.” Evaluation and Program Planning 66 (2018): 111–19.
Janah, Asifa Dhearul, Desi Wijayanti Ma’rufah, and Maulana Mualim. “The Use of Interactive Formative Assessment in An Efl Class Through The Comment Column of Google Classroom.” Tarling: Journal of Language Education 6, no. 1 (2022): 21–48.
Johansson, Elka, Sutharson Kanapathippillai, Arifur Khan, and Steven Dellaportas. “Formative Assessment in Accounting: Student Perceptions and Implications of Continuous Assessment.” Accounting Education, 2022, 1–29.
Kaplan-Rakowski, Regina, and Tomasz Wojdynski. “Students’ Attitudes toward High-Immersion Virtual Reality Assisted Language Learning.” Future-Proof CALL: Language Learning as Exploration and Encounters—Short Papers from EUROCALL, 2018, 124–29.
Koppel, E. R. “The Googlification of Our Classrooms.” Medium, December 2, 2019. https://medium.com/@elirkoppel/the-googlification-of-our-classrooms-3b263fdd62d4.
Krokos, Eric, Catherine Plaisant, and Amitabh Varshney. “Virtual Memory Palaces: Immersion Aids Recall.” Virtual Reality 23 (2019): 1–15.
Kruger, Stephan J. “Improving Student Assessment Feedback in an Introductory Accounting Course through Two-Stage Collaborative Assessment.” South African Journal of Higher Education 33, no. 6 (2019): 172–90.
Kumar, Jeya Amantha, Brandford Bervell, and Sharifah Osman. “Google Classroom: Insights from Malaysian Higher Education Students’ and Instructors’ Experiences.” Education and Information Technologies 25 (2020): 4175–95.
Manzi, Wellington, and Boitumelo Moreeng. “Mediating Economics Curriculum Implementation Through Meaningful Assessment- A Case Study of the South African Educational System.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no. 6 (June 14, 2023): 726–43. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023463.
Martin, Brandy A. “Teachers Perceptions of Google Classroom: Revealing Urgency for Teacher Professional Learning.” Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology 47, no. 1 (2021).
Mohammadi, Marzieh, Anne-Marie Bergh, Niloufar Sattarzadeh Jahdi, Leila Valizadeh, Mohammadbagher Hosseini, and Sevil Hakimi. “Launching Continuous Kangaroo Mother Care through Participatory Action Research in Iran.” BMC Health Services Research 23, no. 1 (2023): 1–8.
Mohammed, S. “Is Technology Good or Bad for Learning?” Brown Center Chalkboard., May 8, 2019. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/05/08/is-technology-good-or-bad-for-learning/.
Motsoeneng, Thabiso Jonah, and Boitumelo Moreeng. “Accounting Teachers’ Understanding and Use of Assessment for Learning to Enhance Curriculum Implementation.” Journal of Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities 8, no. 3 (2022): 288–302.
Motsoeneng, Thabiso Jonah, Henry James Nichols, and Sekitla Daniel Makhasane. “Challenges Faced by Rural Accounting Teachers in Implementing Web-Based Collaborative Learning.” Perspectives in Education 39, no. 3 (2021): 79–93.
Naka, Laura. “The Impression of Formative Assessment in the Immediate EFL Learning Improvement: Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers’ Percipience in English for Teachers Course.” International Journal of Language Testing 13, no. 1 (2023): 236–59.
Ndlovu, Vusumuzi Prince. “Secondary Teachers’ Experiences of Enacting Financial Literacy/Accounting in a Technology-Rich Environment.” African Identities, 2022, 1–17.
Nevenglosky, E. A., C. Cale, and S. P. Aguilar. “Barriers to Effective Curriculum Implementation.” Research in Higher Education Journal 36 (2019).
Ngwenya, J C, and O O Arek-Bawa. “Assessment in Textbooks: Exploring Cognitive Demand in First-Year Accounting Textbooks.” South African Journal of Higher Education 34, no. 1 (2020): 176–96.
Ngwenya, Jabulisile C, and Siyacela Nzuza. “Teachers’ Views on the Role of Economic and Management Sciences in Preparing Learners for Accounting in the Further Education and Training Phase.” South African Journal of Education 42, no. 4 (2022).
Panadero, Ernesto, and Anastasiya A Lipnevich. “A Review of Feedback Models and Typologies: Towards an Integrative Model of Feedback Elements.” Educational Research Review 35 (2022): 100416.
Ramollo, Jeanette K, and Anil Kanjee. “Supporting Teachers to Develop Formative Assessment Knowledge and Skills in No-Fee Schools.” South African Journal of Childhood Education 13, no. 1 (2023): 1247.
Rasulov, I M, D X Makhkamova, and D M Gofforova. “Possibilities, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using The Google Classroom Platform In The Educational Process.” Conferencea, 2023, 199–202.
Sharpe, Stephen, and Gabrielle Young. “Using Google Classroom as Assistive Technology in Universally Designed Classrooms.” Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology 49, no. 1 (2023): 1–17.
Skhephe, Melikhaya, and Martha Matashu. “The Use of Technology in Accounting Classrooms During COVID-19: What Do Accounting Teachers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, Have to Say?” Research in Social Sciences and Technology 6, no. 2 (2021): 267–78.
Sukmawati, Sukmawati, and Nensia Nensia. “The Role of Google Classroom in ELT.” International Journal for Educational and Vocational Studies 1, no. 2 (2019): 142–45.
Tolgfors, Björn. “Different Versions of Assessment for Learning in the Subject of Physical Education.” Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 23, no. 3 (2018): 311–27.
Ventayen, Randy Joy Magno, Karen Lea A Estira, Ma Jasmine De Guzman, Christian Mark Cabaluna, and Nieva N Espinosa. “Usability Evaluation of Google Classroom: Basis for the Adaptation of Gsuite e-Learning Platform.” Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences 5, no. 1 (2018): 47–51.
Vries, J A De, Andria Dimosthenous, Kim Schildkamp, and A J Visscher. “The Impact on Student Achievement of an Assessment for Learning Teacher Professional Development Program.” Studies in Educational Evaluation 74 (2022): 101184.
Westbroek, Hanna B, Lisette van Rens, Ed van den Berg, and Fred Janssen. “A Practical Approach to Assessment for Learning and Differentiated Instruction.” International Journal of Science Education 42, no. 6 (2020): 955–76.
Widiyatmoko, Arif. “The Effectiveness of Google Classroom as a Tool to Support Online Science Learning: A Literature Review.” In Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1918:052069. IOP Publishing, 2021.
Wong, Billy Tak-Ming, Kam Cheong Li, Beryl Yuen-Yee Wong, and Joseph Shiu-Wing Yau. “Evolution and Effectiveness of E-Learning in Accounting Education: The Case of Hong Kong.” International Journal of Innovation and Learning 25, no. 2 (2019): 185–96.
Woodall, C, B Bass, C Foote, F Frost, D Lehmann-Kim, and K Lindskog. “Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update.” US Department of Education, viewed, 2020.
Wright, Pete. “Transforming Mathematics Classroom Practice through Participatory Action Research.” Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education 24, no. 2 (2021): 155–77.
Mr. Thabiso Jonah Motsoeneng is a Commerce Education Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He holds a Master of Education (Curriculum Studies) qualification and is pursuing his PhD studies, focusing on curriculum implementation and assessment for learning. His research interests are Curriculum Studies, Accounting Education and Educational Technology.
Mr. Wellington Manzi is an Economics and Accounting teacher in the Northern Cape, Department of Basic Education. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of the Free State and his research interests lie in Economics Education and Curriculum Studies.
Dr. Boitumelo Moreeng is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State, South Africa. His research interests include History and Social Sciences, Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education.
Motsoeneng, Thabiso Jonah, Manzi, Wellington & Moreeng, Boitumelo. “An Analysis Of Teachers’ Perspectives on the Use of Google Classroom to Enhance Assessment for Learning in Accounting.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.12 Special Issue (2023): 43-54. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234125
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).