Intermediate Accounting, Volume 1, 5th edition

How can we better establish the flow of ideas in intermediate accounting? One way is to apply more accounting theory to help explain the “why” behind accounting standards and practices. Inherently, humans are inquisitive beings who want to know not just how things work, but also why things work a particular way. When students understand “why,” they are better able to find connections between different ideas and internalize those ideas with the rest of their accumulated knowledge and experiences.

Intermediate Accounting aims to better establish the flow of ideas throughout the book by covering several threshold concepts in the first three chapters. Threshold concepts in this case are the portals that connect accounting standards and practices with students' prior knowledge and experiences. As Meyer and Land suggest, these threshold concepts will help to transform how students think about accounting, help students to integrate ideas within and between chapters, and irreversibly improve their understanding of accounting.