The CA teacher: Part 2 - Seeking to understand your audience

In the previous article, I argued that while CA academics may not be pedagogically trained, they can by embodying the traits of Jesus Christ, foster environments where John Henry Newman (1852) and Bolton & Lucas (2011)'s notion of true university goals can be realized.

The teachings of Jesus Christ and His impact on many lives are renowned. His compassion and empathy for others, especially the poor and marginalized, was one of his greatest strengths throughout his ministry.? My favourite illustration of Jesus' caring for all, regardless of status, is the story of the woman at the well, found in John 4:4 -42 in the New Testament of the Bible.

The story of the woman at the well: A high-level summary of John 4:4 - 42

Jesus and his disciples crossed Samaria from Judea to Galilee. Jews rarely travelled to Samaria due to historical and theological difficulties with Samaritans. A Samaritan woman drew water while Jesus rested by Jacob's well. Jesus started a conversation by offering her a drink. The woman was startled that a Jewish guy would chat to a Samaritan woman, as they were at odds. Jesus utilized this interaction to bridge cultures and religions. In their talk, Jesus promised "living water" that would quench spiritual thirst forever. The woman asked where she could acquire this water, taking this literally. Jesus said that the "living water" he offered symbolized eternal life via faith in Him as the Messiah.

He revealed her history and offered forgiveness and salvation. The woman understood Jesus was a prophet and questioned where to worship (Jerusalem or a Samaritan hilltop). Jesus said that worshiping God in spirit and truth transcends geographical locations. The woman saw Jesus as the Messiah and went home to tell her story. Her testimony convinced many Samaritans to believe in Jesus and ask Him to remain. After two days of teaching and ministering to the Samaritans, many believed in Him as the Savior.

This story illustrates Jesus' ability to break down cultural, social, and religious barriers, and most importantly it highlights the universality of the message of salvation He offered. It also demonstrates how one woman's encounter with Jesus led to the conversion of many in her community, emphasizing the transformative power of faith in Jesus Christ.

Teaching and Learning lessons from the story of the woman at the well

Although the primary lesson to be gleaned from the story of the woman at the well is the message of salvation and the profound impact of having faith in Jesus Christ, I contend that there are numerous additional teachings that may be derived from this narrative. I am particularly interested in the pedagogical insights that might be derived from this narrative. In particular I am interested in how Jesus was a champion of the oppressed – an advocate of society’s downtrodden and neglected.

The World Bank as recent as 2022, reported that South Africa is the most unequal country in the world. This makes education even more important, when one considers that education is regarded as one the key mechanisms to combat inequality both nationally and globally.? The holding of a CA(SA) designation promises access to economic opportunities and thus it stands to a reason that an ever-increasing number of students from low socio-economic backgrounds are pursuing the CA(SA) designation.? This however also means that at most universities, significant societal inequalities exist among students pursuing the CA qualification.

I am of the view that CA academics need to be keenly aware of this inequality in their classroom. Or said differently, they need to make concerted efforts to understand the students that are sitting in front of them, as failure to do so might actually result in the ignorant perpetuating of inequality.? Croizet et al (2019) argue that academics ignorantly perpetuate inequality, through a mainly symbolic process. This process involves soft coercion and relies on the implementation of a system of essentialist categories that shapes the construal of students’ academic reality. Said differently, academic achievement is understood to reveal students’ individual merit, thereby reaffirming the advantages and disadvantages related to socio-economic backgrounds that are at play in the classroom.

Reflecting on the story of Jesus and the woman at the well, I am reminded of a lesson my wife and I learnt at a parenting course we recently attended. On the topic of disciplining your children, we were reminded of the importance of Connection before Correction. In other words, are we genuinely fostering a relationship with our kids, or do we just expect them to blindly follow our instruction? I think this notion of Connection before Correction, extends to teaching and learning settings. Do we really know our students and where they come from? Or do we just instruct and set assessments? How often do we say that students don’t listen to what we tell them in class? How often do we say students are lazy? Or not as resilient as we used to be?? When last have we reflected on what in our backgrounds makes us so called resilient, and how that differs from our students’ lived realities? In short are we connecting before simply instructing?

I am fully aware that the notion of connecting before instructing within the CA pedagogy, is easier said than done. CA academics face many obstacles in this regard, such as the overloaded CA syllabus and large classroom sizes. I however do believe that the story of Jesus and the women at well, can offer us some lessons to reflect on, as we endeavour to understand our students.? I shall discuss three of these lessons which are evident to me below:

?1.???? You Must Cross Cultural/Racial/Religious/Socio-economic Boundaries

There was a cultural divide between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus was a man of Jewish descent.?? The woman belonged to the Samaritan community, which is comprised of individuals who are descendants of Jews and had intermarried with Gentiles.?? Jews typically have a markedly negative view of Samaritans. In John 4:4, the Samaritan woman reacts to Jesus' unconventional request for water by acknowledging their cultural differences, stating, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman."?? Why are you requesting a beverage from me??? The passage states that Jews do not engage in social interactions with Samaritans.

?In this chapter, Jesus defies cultural and religious borders, despite their social taboo.?

?Engaging with pupils who differ from oneself, particularly those on the fringes of society, can be a formidable task.?? However, if we genuinely hold the belief that each individual, including every student, possesses inherent worth, then it becomes a worthwhile endeavour.

?2.???? Remind your students that their Past is Not their Future

Jesus did not eliminate the Samaritan woman's past, but rather reminded her that her past did not determine her future.?? Jesus, in verses 17-21, proceeds to demonstrate to the Samaritan lady his awareness of her previous experiences and suffering, while also recognizing her intended destiny.??

?In the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates active listening and compassion by posing questions, as evidenced in Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 24:15-27.?? Despite feeling humiliated of her history, the Samaritan woman received attentive listening from Jesus, who proceeded to vividly depict the future.

?As previously stated, there is a growing population of students from low socio-economic backgrounds who are pursuing the CA qualification.??? I am not suggesting that students from middle to upper class backgrounds, should be disregarded in the classroom. However, it is important to acknowledge that students from poorer socio-economic backgrounds are typically the first in their families to pursue higher education, let alone aspire to become chartered accountants.?? These students therefore require more intentional motivation and prompts to understand that their previous experiences and upbringing do not have to determine their destiny.?? As a CA academic, I believe it is therefore essential for us to consistently maintain a positive and supportive demeanour towards our students..

?3.???? Start with one conversation

One conversation with Jesus changed the Samaritan woman’s life. Yes, we have a loaded accounting syllabus to get through, and we have large classes. But one random conversation with a student at random times could do the same.

?The story of the Samaritan woman concludes with the woman running back to town to share about Jesus. In verse 29, she says, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could He be the Messiah?” One conversation with a stranger sent her off to be a great evangelist to the neighbours she once avoided. Many Samaritans came to trust in Jesus as their Savior because of that one conversation.

?What would it look like for us to have a random conversation, with one student per week? Maybe the more they feel connected to us, the easier it will be to instruct them on accounting, tax, auditing, management accounting, and financial management principles.

Conclusion

In summary, it is my contention that all individuals possess an innate longing for interpersonal connection.?? Once we establish a sense of connection with someone, it becomes simpler to accept both encouragement and correction from them.? Through the story of Jesus and the women at the well, I believe that a powerful teaching and learning case is made for us as teachers, to firstly connect and encourage our students, prior to engaging in instructional activities.?? Facilitating connections and fostering motivation among our students does not necessarily require a large-scale approach, but we must be vigilant for organic opportunities to do so.?

References:

1.??????? Boulton, G. & Lucas, C. 2011. What are universities for??Chinese Science Bulletin,?56(23):2506-2517.

2.?????? Newman, J.H. 1852. The idea of the university. Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University Press.

3.??????? Croizet, J.C., Autin, F., Goudeau, S., Marot, M. and Millet, M., 2019. Education and social class: Highlighting how the educational system perpetuates social inequality.?The social psychology of inequality, pp.139-152.