Performance in first year university accounting: Quantifying the advantage of secondary school accounting

Considerable research has been conducted into the relation between students' level of previous accounting knowledge and their subsequent performance in first year university-level accounting. This study considers variables for academic performance and previous accounting knowledge in an attempt to quantify the advantage that high school accounting gives students entering tertiary business courses. The results indicate that for students entering tertiary courses with similar academic ability, i.e., obtained the same entrance score, the first year tertiary accounting result obtained by a student who studied accounting previously is between one and two grades higher than that of a student who did not study accounting at high school.     

Student performance in tertiary-level accounting: an international student focus

The present paper provides empirical evidence regarding the academic performance of university students studying accounting. In particular, the effect of student origin is investigated by comparing the accounting performance of resident and international students. The present study controls for a number of other key variables, including ability, anxiety, work experience in accounting, accounting study prior to university and enrolment status. The question of whether international student performance improves over time through an acculturation effect is also investigated. Bivariate analyses revealed higher anxiety and lower general ability for international vis‐à‐vis resident students yet no significant difference in accounting performance between the two groups. After controlling for key variables, an association was observed between student origin and accounting performance with superior performance reported for the international student cohort. Statistically significant relationships were also observed between accounting performance and ability, anxiety, employment experience in accounting, enrolment status and accounting study prior to university. An acculturation effect was not clearly evidenced.     

Additional experimental evidence on the relationship between class meeting time compression and accounting student performance and evaluations

This experiment replicates and extends earlier studies which compared the effect of class meeting time compression on accounting student performance and evaluations. Two undergraduate day sections of advanced accounting students were used in the experiment. The first was taught in a regular format: three one-hour meetings per week. The second was taught by the same instructor in a compressed format: one three-hour meeting per week. After controlling for initial differences in grade point averages (GPAs) and prior exposure to compressed accounting classes, the experimental treatment was found to have no impact on either evaluations or performance. Results are in agreement with, and therefore support the external validity of, previous studies in the area. They suggest that, with highly-rated instructors, accounting courses can be offered on a compressed basis without regard to negative effects on performance or evaluations.     

An analysis of the implications of diversity for students' first level accounting performance

The present study investigates the impact of student diversity on performance of first-year undergraduate accounting students. The paper is motivated by (i) increasing diversity amongst the accounting student cohort because of the trend to internationalise education services in industrialised countries; and (ii) inconsistent and inconclusive prior evidence on the determinants of accounting student performance. The major contribution of the present paper is to provide a theoretical framework from the published educational literature that can explain much of the variation in the findings of prior studies. We employ this framework to develop and test several propositions in relation to students’ prior content and metacognitive knowledge. The results indicate students studying on-campus significantly outperform students studying by distance education. On average, international students studying on-campus perform better than domestic students (studying either on- or off-campus), with international students studying off-campus performing worst of all. Prior high school accounting, tertiary entrance score and motivation (reflected by both major of study and tutorial attendance) also influence student performance.     

The effect of accounting question response formats on student performance

The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of different response formats on student performance on introductory accounting exam questions. The study analyzes 1104 accounting students’ responses to quantitative questions presented in two formats: multiple-choice and fill-in. Findings indicate that response format impacts student performance on most of the questions, in favor of the multiple-choice. A second goal is to discover how effectively wrong-answer options in multiple-choice questions capture students’ actual incorrect thinking. Analyses of the fill-in questions showed students wrote in a wide array of incorrect answers, many of which would not have been offered as multiple-choice distracters. Answers filled in were often based on misguided logic that test question authors might never have anticipated. Students’ incorrect reasoning on quantitative fill-in questions can inform instructors on how to proactively address student misconceptions and write more effective multiple-choice items.     

Computer Aided Learning (CAL) and its impact on the performance of non-specialist accounting undergraduates

This study examines the factors affecting students' performance on an introductory UK undergraduate financial accounting course and changes in students' attitudes and perceptions towards Computer Aided Learning (CAL) and accounting. It differs from previous research in that non-specialist accounting students taught using CAL are studied here. Questionnaire data was collected at the beginning and end of the module and is statistically analysed. Multiple regression analysis on student performance shows that age and attitude towards accounting are significant influences, but that attitude towards CAL and students' entry qualifications are not. Students' perceptions of CAL appear to be affected negatively by its use. The study shows that students are significantly more likely to perceive CAL as easy to use, but significantly less likely to view it as flexible, helpful or useful in improving computer literacy. Students' perceptions of accounting as a subject are also negatively affected. They are shown to be significantly less likely to choose to study accounting and significantly more likely to view accounting as a boring subject, following the completion of a CAL course. The negative impact on students' perceptions and attitudes towards CAL and accounting has implications for extending the use of CAL in order to efficiently redirect limited staff resources. However, given that there is no significant effect on performance this may warrant further consideration by higher education institutions.     

Validation of factors relevant to the exemption of accounting courses in MBA programs

Most MBA programs allow students to exempt required core courses like accounting. The exemption decision usually depends on prior accounting course work taken. This study analyzes the performance of students with prior accounting backgrounds in a MBA core course in accounting in order to identify and validate factors that could be used in an exemption policy. Fourteen factors related to aptitude, prior academic performance, prior accounting experience, and work experience were correlated with academic performance. A reduced set of five variables was then included in a step-wise regression. Prior accounting course work, quantitative GMAT score, and grade point average in undergraduate accounting courses emerged as factors that significantly impact grade performance. A set of logit models containing these three factors classified each student by course grade. The three-factor model significantly improved the classification accuracy of students when compared to simplistic models using solely undergraduate accounting course work.     

Validating lecturer effectiveness questionnaires in accounting

The use of student questionnaires to evaluate lecturers in higher education raises the issue of the validity of any measures that might be developed from the results. This paper reports on a lecturer effectiveness questionnaire (LEQ) given to students of accounting courses at Salford University. The main finding is that effectiveness scores are related to student views on important attributes of lecturing (eg. explanation of aims and objectives, choice of teaching aids, creating an interest in the course); but that the scores are also related to less desirable feaures such as lecture size and subject matter. The study also examines the relationship between examinations marks and questionnaire scores on the grounds that students should perform better in examinations for courses where the lecturer is considered to be effective. The study found a midly negative relationship between student approval and examination performance.     

A comprehensive project for managerial accounting

This paper presents a unique procedure which integrates many managerial accounting topics in a single project. The project requires that each student create and interrelate all necessary accounting reports of a manufacturing process for one month of operation. Specific step-by-step instructions are not provided to the students. Only a set of general assignments is given as an outline to the sequence of activities. This allows for maximum flexibility as each student creates all the components of individual projects. The finished project provides each student with an overview of what managerial accounting is all about.     

Making accounting degrees fit for a university

This contribution is a commentary on the paper by Chabrak and Craig (2013) that calls for accounting pedagogy reforms that place accounting within its socio-economic context and enable students to formulate critiques and alternatives. It examines four areas pertinent to this: accounting curricula and pedagogy; accounting's relation within universities and to professional accounting institutions; student expectations; and accounting academics. The commentary concurs with the plea of Chabrak and Craig for curriculum and pedagogy reforms but notes the difficulties this faces in the UK (and possibly elsewhere) given the growing commercialisation of and competition between UK universities, and the influence of professional credentialing upon accounting academics who lack knowledge of accounting research. However, there is a public interest need, and a student and employer desire for curriculum and pedagogical reform and university teaching quality systems do not militate against this. The conclusion is that it lies with accounting academics to counter the drift of accounting degrees imitating from professional accounting courses.     

Preparation for a first level university accounting course: The experience in New zealand

This study seeks to extend the work of Baldwin and Howe (1982) in three ways: first, to differentiate between the different levels of accounting in high school; second, to take into account the level of previous study in economics and mathematics; and third, to examine the effects of these previous levels of study on three different parts of the first level university accounting course. The results are in agreement with the majority of earlier research in that the level of previous study of accounting had no association with the performance in any part of the course. The study of economics showed a positive association with performance in the course, with the major benefit in management accounting.     

Status of public sector accounting education

Public Sector Accounting Education has been receiving increased attention both from academic circles and from the profession. This study describes previous research efforts and expands the research populations to include Non-AACSB accredited schools in an effort to determine the current status of course offerings in public sector accounting. One surprising result indicated that while public sector course offerings have increased, student interest has waned. The implication — Has Public Sector Accounting reached its peak?     

Experimental evidence on the relationship between class meeting time compression and accounting student performance, evaluations and drop-out experience

The present paper contains experimental results concerning the effect of class meeting time compression on accounting student performance (as measured by final course grades), evaluations (of the course, the instructor, accounting as a discipline, etc.), and drop-out experience. Two experimental sections (one for each of Introductory Accounting I and Introductory Accounting II) were created and matched with two conventional (control) sections taught by the same pair of instructors at a large, northeastern university. Results indicate that the experimental treatment had little impact on student performance. While the treatment had some impact on drop-out experience and on evaluations, the impact could be explained by an instructor effect. These results suggest that, at the Introductory Accounting level, and especially for better-rated instructors, courses can be offered on a compressed meeting basis without regard for negative effects on performance, attitudes, or drop-out behavior.     

Gender differences in the first course in accounting: An achievement goal approach

We examine whether gendered patterns can be observed in first-year students' achievement goals in an introductory accounting course; a question largely overlooked by prior literature. This investigation is motivated by perceptions of accounting as a masculine field involving gender role stereotypes and business schools as competitive and performance-oriented environments. Our findings suggest that male students tend to adopt performance-approach goal, implying that they are more competitive than female students, and that their performance is thus driven by a desire to outperform others. Our findings further suggest that male students' expectations of learning accounting are higher than those of female students. The expectations explain the gender differences in the performance-approach goal. Finally, we find that this performance-approach goal mediates gender differences in course performance depending on the mode of assessment; male students received higher grades for exams but not for teamwork. Overall, our study highlights the importance of considering contextual aspects related to competitiveness, masculinity, and the mode of assessment on an accounting course when addressing students’ achievement goals and expectations of learning accounting. We thus contribute to the understanding of how learning environment, accounting pedagogy, and the broader field of professional accounting intersects with individual student attributes, creating differential learning outcomes.     

Research in accounting: Student perspectives

Academicians and practitioners often lament the minimal and/or slow impact of accounting research on practice. One potential cause for this may be the limited course coverage in the accounting curriculum regarding the role of research, current research issues and findings, and the influence of past prominent writers on contemporary thought. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of student awareness concerning these issues. Questionnaires were sent to a random, national sample of 30 universities with Beta Alpha Psi chapters. Eighteen universities chose to participate, yielding 184 student responses. Students perceived a strong need for accounting research and believed that a significant amount was being performed. However, there was confusion as to which key parties (FASB, SEC, etc.) were the predominant forces in conducting research. In particular, the unique role and level of academic research was not recognized. Finally, students felt that the course coverage of accounting research and the key writers was limited. These findings suggest that curriculum coverage of research in accounting needs to be reassessed and expanded if there is to be a clear understanding by those entering practice of the nature and role of research in the field.     

Student perceptions about computerized testing in introductory managerial accounting

This study reports on the implementation of computerized testing in an introductory managerial accounting course. Students were surveyed about their perceptions of computerized testing after taking two major computerized exams. Results show that students perceived both negative and positive aspects about computerized testing, and overall perceptions tended to be more negative than positive. Clear differences in student perceptions existed when analyzing results by instructor, indicating that individual instructors can manage student perceptions about computerized testing. Suggestions for addressing negative student perceptions are provided for accounting educators who are considering the use of computerized testing in introductory courses.     

Heterogeneous student perceptions of accounting course importance and their implications for SET reporting and use

This research tests for an association between student perceptions of accounting course importance (PCI) and student evaluation of teaching (SET) ratings of satisfaction with instructor performance, course quality, and grading procedures. The study also investigates whether instructor rankings constructed from SET ratings vary across student groupings based on PCI. Using responses from students enrolled in introductory accounting classes at three AACSB-accredited accounting programs we find that SET ratings vary significantly with PCI. We also find that instructor rankings constructed from SET ratings vary with PCI. These findings suggest that, when heterogeneous perceptions are present, satisfying all students enrolled in a course may not be possible and that reliance on aggregated SET data may obscure important differences in student opinion. In this circumstance, disaggregating SET data by PCI and emphasizing the feedback of students holding higher (stronger) perceptions of course importance may enhance SET diagnostic value.     

Changes in accounting policies and investment analysts'' fixation on accounting figures

This paper describes and explains how investment analysts deal with changes in accounting policies. The extent to which analysts appear to be fixated on accounting figures is examined using their reports about companies that adopted accounting changes in their financial statements. Sixteen accounting policy changes were identified and divided into four categories and a distinction was made between strong and weak levels of fixation. Consideration is given to the level of fixation of investment analysts that can be explained by the extent of disclosure concerning the accounting change, the moment the accounting change is announced for the first time, the nature of the accounting change and the type of employer. The level of disclosure and the nature of accounting change are important determinants of fixation. Furthermore, it appears that financial journalists explain accounting changes and their effects on accounting figures more extensively than investment analysts employed by banks or firms of stockbrokers. This study focuses on investment reports in practice in a Dutch context, in contrast to previous research conducted in experimental settings.     

The effectiveness of using spreadsheets to teach financial accounting

There have been numerous attempts to integrate micro-computers into the teaching of accounting courses in higher education. Two of the reasons that have been suggested for using computers on accounting courses are: firstly, the educational benefits and, secondly, that students will then be equipped with the computing and spreadsheet skills that they will require in the workplace. One method of using the computer is to use it as a computational tool, allowing the student to develop models from scratch. Such an approach was developed by Marriott & Simon (1990a). However, as there is little evidence regarding the educational effectiveness of using such methods, a rigourous and structured research project was conducted using first–year accounting degree students at Cardiff Business School. This article outlines the rationale for the project and analyses the results obtained. The results indicate that while spreadsheets can be successfully integrated into an accounting course, their use had no measurable impact on test performance. However, the use of computers can still be deemed to be worthwhile as the students' computer skills are enhanced and it permits further integration in other courses where educational benefits may be more readily obtained.     

Student Performance in First Year Tertiary Accounting Courses and Its Relationship to Secondary Accounting Education

Prior research into this issue in the U.S. and U.K. has utilized a variety of research designs and methods of testing and has produced conflicting empirical results. This Australian study develops a model of student performance which incorporates variables for academic ability, previous accounting knowledge, and mathematics background. The model allows for interactions between some of these variables. Results are tested using a multiple regression form of extended ANCOVA. The findings indicate that the hypothesis that performance in first year accounting is independent of secondary accounting education can be rejected at high levels of significance for all four years studied, both for student marks and rankings and also for aggregate marks as well as course components. The results are contrasted with previous research and the potential implications of these findings are discussed.