Abstract:
This study aims to contribute to practical teaching and learning approaches adopted in institutions
of higher learning to ensure that students acquire the skills required of them in the workplace. It is imperative
that higher learning institutions adopt teaching and learning approaches that will equip students with skills
required for the workplace. Therefore, this study analyses the project-based learning approach, to determine
whether Auditing students will acquire the skills required of them in the workplace as auditors. Higher learning
institutions are a platform where students should be prepared for the workplace. Thus, it is necessary for
these institutions to adopt teaching and learning methods that will ensure students have the skills required of
them in the workplace. Traditional teaching and learning methods often limit the learning of students to the
theoretical knowledge based on prescribed textbooks, which is not likely to respond to the skill-set required
in the workplace. This study will investigate the skills acquired by students through the project-based learning
approach. These skills will then be mapped to the skills required for auditors in the workplace. This is done to
determine whether through the project-based teaching and learning approach, Auditing students will acquire
the skills required of them in the workplace as auditors. This is going to be achieved through the mixed research
methods where the skills required of Auditing graduates are extracted from analysing documents, and the
results are quantitative in nature. The study established that through the project-based learning approach,
Auditing students would develop up to eighty nine percent (89%) of the skills required of them. The remaining
eleven percent (11%) represents only one element of skills, which is visual skills. This study joins an ongoing
debate in academia about incorporating practical elements in modules to enhance students' understanding
and success. These factors may be critical when students enter the workplace.