Competency-Based Approaches And Accounting Education: A Critical Literature Review

In recent years, several academic studies and professional reports produced by accounting associations have become interested in establishing competency-based professional requirements and have subsequently encouraged the adoption of accounting education methods based on competency-based approach. This is also the case with IFAC (International Federation of Accountants) which highlighted the importance of the competency-based approach for the accounting education and training of accounting practitioners. All the more so the first objective of the competency-based approach is to bring accounting programs, and subsequently accounting education, closer to the demands of the community professional, therefore requirements of the accounting profession (IFAC, 2003). In this context, we reviewed and synthesized the literature on competency-based approaches in order, firstly, to have a better understanding of the concept of competence by highlighting its origin and its main definitions, and secondly, to emphasize the usefulness of competency-based approaches for both the academic accounting education and to the accounting profession. We identified a number of successful experiences of competency-based approaches. However, we also find many alternative definitions and philosophies underlying competency-based approaches. We note that despite the advantages of the different competency-based approaches, several research questions remain unanswered, that is why further research is needed on this subject.