When teaching introductory management accounting courses at undergraduate level, the authors noticed that some students experience difficulty in integrating theoretical and technical knowledge of management accounting and applying it to specific scenarios. However, based on the authors' experience, the problems faced by students when learning management accounting were exacerbated by the manner in which students made use of the tutorials that formed part of their course. The authors were concerned that students were uncomfortable acknowledging their lack of understanding, and felt that their unwillingness to seek clarification of the concepts in the tutorials was inhibiting their learning. They recognized that something major had to be done to address the problems of poor engagement and performance, and decided to change the nature and design of the tutorials to provide greater support for students to discuss the concepts on an individual basis. In order to do so, the authors needed to overcome the communication apprehension they had observed. This article discusses the alternative approach initiatives involved in the classroom layout and the structure of the tutorials in the course.