The Influence of Industry Guest Lectures on Auditing Students' Participation and Perceptions of Employability Skills

Abstract

The study examined undergraduate auditing students' perceptions and expectations of the educational experience gained from guest speakers and the ability of the speakers to provide insights into the use of employability skills in the workplace. A mixed-method approach was used to address the research objectives. A survey was conducted with quantitative results analysed using SPSS, which allowed a comparison of mean values between items and identify any statistical difference by students' demographics. A thematic approach using inductive coding to analyse the qualitative responses to open-ended questions was also used. The study found that guest lectures do have a positive effect on student interest and engagement in auditing. The study also found that students considered themselves employable in the future. The study will be helpful to academics in higher education institutions to improve their teaching pedagogies for improved student engagement in the modules taught