Abstract

Bad debt recovery is an important area of accounting practice that requires students to understand how previously written-off debts are subsequently recovered and appropriately reflected in accounting records. Proper treatment of recovered bad debts involves identifying recovered amounts, examining supporting evidence, making appropriate accounting entries, adjusting receivables records, updating cash records, and ensuring that financial information remains accurate and complete. However, Accounting Education students in Nigerian universities may experience difficulties in applying bad debt recovery procedures because classroom instruction may provide limited opportunities for realistic practical exercises. Bad Debt Recovery Exercises provide students with opportunities to simulate debt-recovery transactions and practise the accounting procedures required to recognize, document, record, and adjust recovered receivables. Such exercises may strengthen students’ practical accounting competence and ability to handle receivables-related adjustments accurately. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of Bad Debt Recovery Exercises on students’ receivables adjustment skills in Nigerian universities. The study will be anchored on Experiential Learning Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and Human Capital Theory. Experiential Learning Theory explains how students develop practical accounting competencies through direct experience, reflection, conceptualization, and active experimentation. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes learning through observation, modelling, guided practice, feedback, and self-efficacy. Human Capital Theory explains how investment in relevant accounting knowledge and practical skills improves students’ productivity, employability, and preparedness for professional accounting responsibilities. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how Bad Debt Recovery Exercises may influence students’ receivables adjustment skills. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. The population will comprise Accounting Education students enrolled in selected Nigerian universities. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, universities, departments, levels of study, classes, and eligible students. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, receivables adjustment skills assessment scales, simulated bad debt recovery transactions, practical accounting tasks, performance rubrics, observation checklists, journal-entry exercises, ledger-adjustment tasks, reconciliation exercises, and pre-test and post-test assessments. Bad Debt Recovery Exercises will be assessed using indicators such as identification of previously written-off debts, recognition of recovered debts, recovery documentation, debtor identification, recovery-date recording, recovery-amount recording, cash-receipt documentation, bank-receipt documentation, recovery confirmation, supporting-document verification, debt-recovery authorization, customer communication, debt-status verification, receivables-record examination, bad-debt-record examination, recovery classification, accounting treatment of recovered debts, journal-entry preparation, ledger posting, receivables-account adjustment, cash-account adjustment, bank-account adjustment, income recognition where applicable, reversal or reinstatement procedures where applicable, recovery-related adjustments, error identification, error correction, duplicate-recovery identification, unsupported-recovery identification, incorrect-amount identification, incorrect-date identification, incorrect-debtor identification, incomplete-document identification, reconciliation procedures, debtor-account reconciliation, cash reconciliation, bank reconciliation, receivables-ledger reconciliation, recovery-register maintenance, transaction tracking, document filing, audit-trail maintenance, internal-control procedures, authorization controls, verification controls, segregation of duties, fraud-risk awareness, accounting-software activities, spreadsheet-based receivables analysis, digital recovery records, electronic documentation, practical demonstrations, guided exercises, individual assignments, group exercises, case studies, role-play activities, repeated practice, peer assessment, lecturer assessment, self-assessment, feedback activities, reflective practice, and progressively challenging recovery scenarios. Students’ receivables adjustment skills will be assessed using indicators such as ability to identify previously written-off debts, recognize recovered debts, document recoveries, identify debtors, record recovery dates, record recovery amounts, prepare cash-receipt evidence, document bank receipts, confirm recoveries, verify supporting documents, follow recovery authorization procedures, communicate with debtors, verify debt status, examine receivables records, examine bad-debt records, classify recovered debts, apply appropriate accounting treatment, prepare journal entries, post ledger entries, adjust receivables accounts, adjust cash accounts, adjust bank accounts, recognize income where applicable, apply reinstatement or reversal procedures where appropriate, process recovery adjustments, identify errors, correct errors, detect duplicate recoveries, identify unsupported recoveries, detect incorrect amounts, dates, and debtor information, identify incomplete documentation, perform debtor-account reconciliations, reconcile cash records, reconcile bank records, reconcile receivables ledgers, maintain recovery registers, track recovery transactions, file supporting documents, maintain audit trails, apply internal controls, follow authorization procedures, apply verification controls, observe segregation of duties, recognize potential fraud risks, use accounting software, analyse receivables using spreadsheets, maintain digital recovery records, manage electronic documentation, demonstrate accuracy, demonstrate attention to detail, demonstrate numerical competence, demonstrate accounting competence, demonstrate analytical ability, demonstrate problem-solving ability, demonstrate decision-making ability, demonstrate confidence, demonstrate efficiency, demonstrate accountability, demonstrate responsibility, demonstrate professionalism, demonstrate adaptability, demonstrate digital competence, and overall receivables adjustment competence. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students’ demographic and academic characteristics, exposure to Bad Debt Recovery Exercises, practical experiences, and receivables adjustment skill levels. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired and independent t-tests, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of Bad Debt Recovery Exercises on students’ receivables adjustment skills. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, receivables adjustment skill scores before and after participation in the exercises may be compared with those of a control group receiving conventional classroom instruction to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that Bad Debt Recovery Exercises have a significant positive effect on students’ receivables adjustment skills in Nigerian universities. Students exposed to structured bad debt recovery exercises are expected to demonstrate improved ability to identify, document, record, adjust, reconcile, and report recovered receivables. Previously written-off debt identification activities may improve students’ ability to recognize debts that have already been removed from active receivables records. Recovered-debt recognition exercises may strengthen students’ understanding of the accounting implications of subsequent recovery. Recovery-documentation activities may improve students’ ability to provide appropriate evidence of recovered amounts. Debtor-identification exercises may strengthen students’ ability to assign recoveries to the correct customer accounts. Recovery-date and amount-recording activities may improve the accuracy of receivables adjustments. Cash-receipt and bank-receipt documentation may strengthen students’ ability to connect recovered debts with actual receipts. Recovery-confirmation activities may improve students’ ability to verify that a recovery has occurred. Supporting-document verification may strengthen documentation completeness. Authorization exercises may improve students’ understanding of controls over debt-recovery transactions. Customer-communication activities may expose students to practical procedures for confirming outstanding and recovered debts. Debt-status verification may strengthen students’ ability to determine whether receivables have been written off, recovered, or remain outstanding. Receivables-record examination may improve students’ ability to review customer balances before making adjustments. Bad-debt-record examination may strengthen students’ ability to trace previously recognized bad debts. Recovery-classification activities may improve students’ ability to classify recovered amounts appropriately. Accounting-treatment exercises may strengthen students’ ability to apply appropriate procedures to recovered bad debts. Journal-entry preparation may improve students’ ability to translate recovery transactions into accounting entries. Ledger-posting exercises may strengthen students’ ability to update relevant accounts accurately. Receivables-account adjustment may improve students’ ability to reflect recovered amounts appropriately in customer records. Cash- and bank-account adjustment activities may strengthen students’ ability to record the receipt of recovered debts. Income-recognition exercises, where applicable, may improve students’ understanding of the financial-reporting implications of debt recovery. Reinstatement or reversal exercises, where applicable, may strengthen students’ ability to apply appropriate adjustments based on the accounting treatment adopted. Recovery-adjustment exercises may improve students’ overall ability to update accounting records after debt recovery. Error-identification activities may strengthen students’ ability to recognize incorrect recovery entries. Error-correction exercises may improve students’ ability to correct inaccurate receivables records. Duplicate-recovery identification may strengthen students’ ability to detect repeated entries. Unsupported-recovery activities may improve students’ ability to identify recoveries without adequate evidence. Incorrect-amount, date, and debtor-information exercises may strengthen attention to transaction details. Incomplete-document activities may improve students’ ability to identify gaps in recovery documentation. Reconciliation exercises may strengthen students’ ability to compare recovery records with supporting evidence. Debtor-account reconciliation may improve students’ ability to confirm that customer balances are accurate. Cash reconciliation may strengthen students’ ability to match recovered amounts with cash receipts. Bank reconciliation may improve students’ ability to match electronic or bank receipts with recovery records. Receivables-ledger reconciliation may strengthen students’ ability to identify differences between subsidiary records and accounting records. Recovery-register activities may improve students’ ability to maintain systematic records of recovered debts. Transaction-tracking activities may strengthen students’ ability to monitor recovery processes. Document-filing activities may improve students’ ability to organize supporting evidence. Audit-trail activities may strengthen students’ understanding of traceability and accountability in receivables management. Internal-control activities may improve students’ awareness of safeguards over debt-recovery transactions. Authorization controls may strengthen students’ ability to ensure that adjustments are properly approved. Verification controls may improve students’ ability to confirm the validity and accuracy of recoveries. Segregation-of-duties activities may strengthen students’ understanding of separating debt collection, authorization, recording, and reconciliation responsibilities. Fraud-risk awareness may improve students’ ability to recognize potentially suspicious recovery transactions. Accounting-software activities may strengthen students’ ability to process receivables adjustments digitally. Spreadsheet exercises may improve students’ ability to analyse customer balances and recovery information. Digital recovery-record activities may prepare students for technology-supported receivables management. Electronic-documentation exercises may strengthen students’ ability to maintain digital evidence of recoveries. Practical demonstrations may provide clear models of bad debt recovery procedures. Guided exercises may provide structured support during skill development. Individual assignments may strengthen independent receivables adjustment ability. Group exercises may improve collaborative problem-solving. Case studies may expose students to realistic debt-recovery situations. Role-play activities may simulate debtor communication and recovery procedures. Repeated practice may improve students’ accuracy, speed, confidence, and independence. Peer assessment may expose students to alternative approaches to receivables adjustments. Lecturer assessment and feedback may help students identify and correct accounting errors. Self-assessment may encourage students to evaluate their practical performance. Reflective practice may help students learn from mistakes in recovery documentation and accounting adjustments. Progressively challenging scenarios may prepare students for increasingly complex receivables-management responsibilities. However, the effectiveness of Bad Debt Recovery Exercises may be constrained by inadequate accounting laboratories, limited access to realistic debtor records and recovery documents, insufficient computers, unreliable electricity supply, poor internet connectivity, large class sizes, limited practical training periods, inadequate lecturer supervision, outdated instructional materials, limited access to accounting software, insufficient authentic business records, inadequate feedback, low student participation, weak university-industry collaboration, and inadequate integration of receivables-adjustment practical activities into Accounting Education curricula. The study therefore expects realistic, structured, hands-on, technology-supported, workplace-oriented, and adequately supervised Bad Debt Recovery Exercises to contribute significantly to improved receivables adjustment skills among Accounting Education students in Nigerian universities. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on Bad Debt Recovery Exercises, receivables adjustment skills, Experiential Learning Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Human Capital Theory, accounting education, practical accounting education, accounts receivable management, bad debts, debt recovery, receivables adjustments, debtor accounting, customer accounts, cash receipts, bank receipts, journal entries, ledger posting, financial reporting, reconciliation, internal controls, authorization procedures, fraud awareness, accounting documentation, audit trails, accounting software, spreadsheet skills, digital receivables management, workplace readiness, employability skills, professional competence, Accounting Education students, Nigerian universities, and Accounting Education in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the National Universities Commission, university administrators, Accounting Education departments, accounting educators, curriculum developers, professional accounting bodies, employers, industry partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening students’ practical receivables-adjustment competencies. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating Bad Debt Recovery Exercises into Accounting Education programmes, establishing realistic receivables-management simulation environments, providing authentic debtor and recovery documentation, strengthening students’ ability to process and adjust recovered debts, incorporating reconciliation and internal-control activities into practical instruction, improving digital receivables-management competencies, providing repeated practical exercises and structured feedback, expanding collaboration between universities and accounting workplaces, and aligning Accounting Education programmes with contemporary receivables-management and financial-recording requirements in Nigeria.

Keywords: Bad Debt Recovery Exercises, receivables adjustment skills, bad debts, debt recovery, accounts receivable, debtor accounting, receivables management, journal entries, ledger posting, cash receipts, bank receipts, reconciliation, internal controls, accounting documentation, accounting software, digital accounting, practical accounting education, Accounting Education students, Nigerian universities, Nigeria.