Teachers' Pedagogical Beliefs at Commercial Schools—An Empirical Study in Germany

Abstract

Within the study of teacher training, it is generally accepted that a teacher's behaviour and success in the classroom is influenced by their personal beliefs. This paper discusses teachers' pedagogical beliefs, domain-specific beliefs and conceptions of teaching and learning. We outline empirical results from various studies which explore lecturers' and teachers' perceptions of vocational training in the field of accounting education; then present an empirical study in German commercial schools, conducted via surveys (n= 225 teachers in commercial schools) and in-depth follow-up interviews (n = 21 teachers). Using cluster analysis we identify different teacher types or belief systems regarding teaching and learning in accounting education: predominantly constructivist or instructional. Of particular interest is a mixed type, which includes both paradigms and emphasises the importance of structured lessons and systematic teaching. Verbal data allow a more detailed analysis of the different pedagogical orientations. We established significant relationships between teachers' beliefs, including domain-specific beliefs, self reports on the organisation of classroom activities and teaching patterns. All in all, the findings show a dominance of instructional ideas and teacher-centred teaching practices in the domain of accounting.

Keywords:

• Teachers' pedagogical beliefs
• domain-specific beliefs
• conceptions of teaching and learning
• accounting education
• vocational education training
• commercial schools

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the reviewers for their constructive comments, which helped to improve the manuscript.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Juergen Seifried

This paper was edited and accepted by Richard M. S. Wilson.