PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the cultural background of students and their learning approaches in a first year undergraduate accounting program.Design/methodology/approachWhile prior research in this area has more generally focused on the investigation of the approaches to learning by accounting students, there appears to have been little investigation into the learning approaches of students from different cultures who are studying accounting together at the same institution. The paper presents the results of a study of 550 students enrolled in an undergraduate accounting program at a multi‐campus university in Victoria, Australia, which used Biggs' study process questionnaire (SPQ) to assess the approaches to learning utilised by local and Chinese students.FindingsThe results showed that, while there were no significant differences in the use of surface and deep learning strategies by the Chinese and Australian students, there were significant differences in the learning motives of the two groups. Furthermore, the results contradict prior claims that Asian students rely principally on the memorisation and reproduction of factual information as a means of achieving academic success.Originality/valueThe study provides support for the notion that Chinese students may in fact have a culturally induced bias towards seeking understanding through deeper approaches to study.

In this paper we explore building the engineering mindset from the perspective of developing exceptional leadership and management competencies to guide and support the traditional technical competencies that are the primary focus of undergraduate engineering programs.  A knowledge base for engineering, science, and design is developed throughout most engineering programs. Math and science are carefully scaffolded from first year engineering to ensure technical competence by graduation. We ask the questions: “How are leadership and management related to engineering work and design?” and “Can we develop a framework to guide the development of leadership and management skills in the engineering curriculum?” We argue leadership and management are integral to the engineering mindset and necessary to address the complex engineering problems society faces.  There is discord between the responsibility of the engineer and the decision-making authority for engineering projects.  This dissonance often results in engineers being technically accountable for their designs yet lacking the authority to make decisions with respect to the construction, commissioning, and operation of their designs.  To address this gap, we suggest leadership and management training be carefully scaffolded in the same manner that technical competence has been stewarded in engineering programs and propose a framework to do so.

Abstract

This paper analyzes engineering leadership curriculum in Canadian universities. Using an adapted framework for curriculum development, we analyze key documents for six engineering leadership programs in six different universities. Findings show a wide range of purposes, content and sequencing, with a common core of instructional processes and resources. We explore how accreditation, labour markets, internal resources and relationships with business schools shape curriculum decisions. Future work will explore deeper connections between influences and the curriculum, and comparisons between Canada and other jurisdictions.

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