Investigating the Perceptions of Learners on the Effectiveness of Group Learning Versus Teacher-Centered Approach in Accounting – A Case Study of a Selected High School, Amathole East District
Sinesipho Nongila 
, Avela Ngqunguza & Zikhona Seleke
Issue: Vol.6 No.10 Article 27 pp.2605 – 2618
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561027 | Published online 29th September, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This study investigates the learner’s perceptions of the effectiveness of group learning versus the teacher-centred approach in accounting teaching and learning in two selected High schools within the Amathole East District, South Africa. The primary purpose was to assess what other teaching strategies are used by the teachers, especially collaborative learning, team building, or group learning in the classrooms. A qualitative research method was used in this study, involving interviews conducted across two (2) schools in the district. The Interviews consisted of participants including three educators and five learners, who made a sample size of eight participants from the two selected high schools in the Eastern Cape Province at Amatole East District. Findings exposed mixed opinions regarding the use of group learning and teacher-centred learning. Other learners prefer to be taught by teachers, while other learners insist that they must be taught using both a lecture method and a group learning method so that the learners will be able to share knowledge and meet a common goal, which is to pass and move to the next class. The teachers expressed that the Department of Basic Education should provide tutors and do career exhibitions to make education more interesting and that the level of dropouts at schools would decrease. The study contributes to existing scholarship by marking multiple dynamics of group learning versus teacher-centred learning in the classroom during the lesson. These findings can inform future educational methods and strategies to be used when teaching learners.
Keywords: Accounting classroom, Group Learning, Teacher centered approach, Teaching and Learning, Department of Basic Education (DBE).
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Sinesipho Nongila is a registered Bachelor of Education Honours in Inclusive education at Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Avela Ngqunguza is currently employed as an Economics and Management Science lecturer at Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He is a dedicated researcher with a Master’s degree in Education from Walter Sisulu University, focusing on finding solutions or measures that could be done to decrease the phasing out of commerce streams, especially Accounting, in secondary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. With a passion for exploring the reasons, perspectives, and impacts of educational policy changes, Avela Ngqunguza is committed to understanding the broader implications on learners, teachers, and communities. He aims to contribute valuable insights to the discourse on curriculum development and its role in shaping South Africa’s education landscape.
Zikhona Seleke is currently employed as an Accounting lecturer at Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She is currently the Head of the Department of Business Management and Education at Walter Sisulu University under the Faculty of Education. She is a researcher specializing in the integration of technology in education. Zikhona Seleke has conducted extensive research on topics such as Technology Enhanced Learning in the Teaching and Learning of Accounting in Secondary Schools, in South Africa, Chronicling Information Communication Technology into Teaching and Learning in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Her work aims to bridge the digital divide and empower educators and learners through effective use of technology. Zikhona Seleke is committed to sharing expertise and insights to drive positive change in education and the higher education landscape and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
Nongila, Sinesipho, Avela Ngqunguza, and Zikhona Seleke.“ Investigating the Perceptions of Learners on the Effectiveness of Group Learning Versus Teacher-Centered Approach in Accounting – A Case Study of a Selected High School, Amathole East District,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 10 (2025): 2605 – 2618, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561027
© 2025 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/).
