An Investigation of the Factors Impacting Performance in the Introductory Financial Accounting Course

• In Event: Classroom Techniques and Insights

Abstract

The delivery of a quality introductory accounting course is absolutely essential for any school of business. However, accounting educators and practitioners alike are truly baffled at the poor performance of students in the introductory accounting class. Resources are wasted as students retake the class or struggle in subsequent classes because they did not learn the appropriate information in the current format. As a result, it is vitally important that schools of business identify the criteria associated with success in this course.

The current study was designed to shed some light on how the situation could be improved. The first step in revitalization and improvement of the course is to quantitatively identify factors that are related to succeessful completion of the introductory class and those that define poor performance. The sample for the current study was 398 introductory accounting students included in classes over the past six years. These students were exposed to the same professor, textbook, teaching and examination format over the entire sample at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). All data was collected from student transcripts in a collection procedure approved by the university’s Institutional Research Board.

Results suggest four independent variables (i.e., grade point average (GPA), mathematics background, being a declared accounting major and having taken the class previously) explain 35% of the grade students achieve in the introductory accounting class. These results could be used to require a minimum GPA and the completion of mathematics requirement before taking the introductory accounting course. Other recommendations that emerge from these results include perhaps the creation of sections of the introductory course dedicated to accounting majors.

Author

• Janet F Phillips, Southern Connecticut State University