Abstract
The inclusion of data analytics in the accounting curriculum is an important task that has been recommended by professional and academic accounting bodies as well as accrediting agencies. This research paper is part of a survey which investigated how data analytics is being included in the accounting curriculum in general and in different courses in particular. This paper examines whether there are differences in the degree of inclusion of data analytics in different courses in the accounting curriculum and differences in the knowledge and preparation of faculty teaching these courses. The study reveals that the majority of accounting faculty perceive themselves as having limited expertise in data analytics. Only 19% of respondents rate themselves as extremely or very knowledgeable in this area. Conversely, a significant 74% consider their knowledge to be moderate or slight, with 6% admitting to having no knowledge whatsoever. The findings from this study indicate that approximately half of the faculty have acquired their data analytics skills through self-teaching. Merely 24% have undergone formal instruction in this field, while around 17% have received no preparation at all. The study highlights notable disparities in knowledge levels among instructors teaching various courses. Within our surveyed cohort, 48.4% of Analytics in Accounting faculty and 33.3% of AIS faculty perceive themselves as extremely knowledgeable or very knowledgeable about data analytics, contrasting with only 5.2% of Tax faculty and 7.5% of Intermediate faculty. The findings from this study illustrate substantial variations in the level of preparation among faculty members teaching different courses.