An alignment study of the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy program in the Philippines, the International Education Standards, and the Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination: Basis for curriculum reforms

• Main Authors: Dela Peña, Pauline C., Rodil, Caitlin Gail O., Sayson, Carl Fredrick P., Young, Richmond Lloyd S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Accounting—Study and teaching—Philippines; Educational change; Accounting; Curriculum and Instruction; Curriculum and Social Inquiry; Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research; Higher Education Administration; International and Comparative Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_acc/24; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=etdb_acc
• Institution: De La Salle University

The development of the accountancy profession in response to the evolving needs of the industry requires corresponding changes in the academe to bridge the curriculum gap or the difference between accountancy education and practice. Hence, this study aims to determine the level of alignment between the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) Program, the International Education Standards (IESs), and the Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE) as a basis for curriculum reform. Alignment with the IESs, a suitably responsive basis of the curriculum competencies required by accountancy practice, contributes toward global competitiveness while alignment with the CPALE helps address the recent declining trend in its passing rates. In line with this, the CPALE Syllabi were quantitatively aligned with the IESs through a sample syllabus developed by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and with the BSA Program through the syllabi of selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The data derived from the latter alignment was validated by interviews conducted with students from each HEI. Meanwhile, for the qualitative aspect of this study, interviews were held with representatives from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy (PRBOA), the Philippine Institute of CPAs (PICPA), the National Association of CPAs in Education (nACPAE), and public and private HEIs, and the data gathered were subjected to inductive thematic analysis. The data obtained from the quantitative and qualitative analyses of this study were then subjected to triangulation, which revealed the following conclusions. The BSA Program prescribed by CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 27, series of 2017 is highly aligned with the IESs; however, a lack of resources contributes to a misalignment of the BSA Program of the HEIs with the CMO, thereby resulting in a moderate alignment of the BSA Program with the IESs overall. The CPALE is also moderately aligned with the IESs, with the misalignments arising from a lack of practical application and business and technology content. Lastly, the BSA Programs of the selected HEIs are highly aligned with the CPALE, though variations in curriculum delivery and a lack of resources to exercise the flexibility embedded in the curriculum imply that such alignment may differ on a case-to-case basis. Ultimately, this study found a moderate alignment between the BSA Program, the IESs, and the CPALE, revealing important implications for regulatory bodies, professional organizations, and HEIs.