Rate My Professor Nikki Schonfeldt

Nikki Schonfeldt is the Associate Director Teaching and Teaching Innovation and a Senior Lecturer of Accounting at the University of Western Australia’s Business School. A Chartered Accountant with over two decades of university teaching experience, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Business from UWA in 2022, with a thesis titled ‘Demystifying the process of accounting for groups: utilising adaptive learning technologies’. Prior degrees include a Master of Commerce in Business Management (2001), BCom Honours in Accounting (CA) (1997), and BCom in Accounting (1996), all from the University of Johannesburg. Her career includes roles as Senior Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg (2001-2005), consultant and research assistant there (2007-2013), and positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers (1998-2000). Since joining UWA as Casual Lecturer and Tutor (2012-2014), she has progressed to her current leadership positions in teaching innovation.

Schonfeldt’s research specializations include financial accounting, accounting education, educational technology, adaptive learning, threshold concepts, and operational risk management in financial institutions. Her publications appear in top journals, including ‘Consolidating the student voice using think aloud protocols’ (Journal of Accounting Education, 2020), ‘ICT Skill Development Using Excel, Xero, and Tableau’ (Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, 2020), ‘The use of case studies in developing students’ understanding of the concept ‘material misstatement’’ (Accounting & Finance, 2022), ‘Threshold Concepts in the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements’ (Accounting and Finance, 2026), and contributions to AASB Working Paper No. 26-01 (2025). Recognized for excellence in teaching and research, she has received the 2023 AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, MYOB 2022 Educator of the Year, Accountants Daily 2023 Accounting Academic of the Year, UWA Teaching Excellence Award (2021), Faculty Teaching Award (2018), AFAANZ ECR Accounting Education Award (2023), and SAAA Best Paper for Peer-Reviewed Track (2025). As a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, her innovative approaches have significantly enhanced student engagement and learning outcomes in accounting.