FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING SUBJECT IN ALL GOVERNMENT OWNED SECONDARY SCHOOL IN ENUGU EAST LOACL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE.

Abstract

The topic of this research is factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject in all government owned secondary school in Enugu east local government area of Enugu state. The purpose of this study is to find out the students factors, parents factors, teachers factors, government factors and administrative factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject. From the purpose of the study the researcher formulated the research questions. A descriptive survey design was adopted in this research. The population of the study is 2331 which is made up of all government secondary school students and teachers in Enugu East local government area of Enugu state which was gotten from post primary school management board Enugu. The sample size was 341, the sampling techniques used was yaro yamani formular. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. The instrument was validated using face validity by experts in measurement and evaluation. The reliability coefficient of 0.85 was obtained using Pearson product moment correlation. Based on the result of the Finding, it was concluded that students, parents, teachers, government and administrative factors influence the performance of students in Financial Accounting Subject. Consequently, it was recommended among others that school administrators should provide enough time for the teaching and learning of financial accounting and also parents should always encourage their wards by equipping them with the necessary materials needed to study accounting.

                                             CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education is a means through which young and old members of the society are taught about their expected behaviour of the society and the rules of polity, the values, skills attitudes and knowledge that equip the individual to achieve personal and society development and progress Ozigi (2014).

Education also according to Donald 2006 in compel Nwaose 2016 is a process of teaching and learning in which students acquire practical knowledge, values, and skills for effective participation in the society.

Accounting is the process of recording, identifying, measuring, and communicating financial of economic information to permit informed judgment and decisions by the users of the information. (AMERICAN ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATION) AAA.1996 in Richard 2000.

According to the Government Accounting Standard Board (2000), accounting is the systematic process of identifying, recording, measuring, classifying, verifying, summarizing, income and loss for a given period and the value of firms’ assets, liabilities and owner’s equality.

Accounting has also been defined as a system of principles and techniques, which permits the recordings, analysis, interpretation and communication of financial information as an aid to managerial decision – making. The recording phase of accounting is commonly called Book – keeping and it is the analysis, classification and systematic recording of day to day business transactions.Book-keeping is also defined as the recording of business transactions in a systematic way such that financial position can be readily ascertained(ELURO 2006).

A study of financial accounting is therefore concerned with the process of measurement and communication, both of business income and the financial position of an entry.

Accounting is a subject that is offered in Nigeria secondary schools, polytechnics and universities. Accounting subjects comprises management accounting, financial accounting, cost accounting, public sector accounting, taxation and auditing.

The bedrock of accounting is an understanding of the underlying principles and an appreciation of the techniques and skills necessary for their application. Unlike the natural science, accounting is not based on fundamental laws or absolute precepts. Rather accounting principles are generalization which have evolved over many years through trial and error and which accounting practice can be evaluated. As it teaches ethnical behaviour in personal and business affairs, such behaviour include punctuality, honestly, hard work and sanctity of human life etc.Accounting is logical reasoning in the form of a set of broad principles that are capable of providing a frame of reference by which accounting practice can be evaluated, and realization of these objectives can only be attested through the qualification of the teacher and his experience or by way of impacting knowledge skill, it must train the student to be adopted, it must extend the horizon of his interest and must also develop his personality of which some of the aims designed to be achieved.

Notwithstanding the importance of this subject in our everyday life, we still find from available statistics that a large percentage of the present day student population in various school, have little or no interest in accounting subject. This is more evidence from the mass failure recorded in senior Waec last year (Nwosu Campbell 2017). However, the aim of this project therefore is to of factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subjects in Enugu east local government.

 Statement of the Problem

Financial Accounting in the secondary school curriculum is to prepare the students for Senior Secondary SchoolCertificate Examination (SSCE) which will enable the holders further their education or to engage inclerical work in the office as an account clerk.  But it has been observed by many researchers that many students have no interest in accounting. Those that indicated interest by registering for it in SSCE hardly perform well. Some of them that secured clerical job have not been able to adjust to the practical working of financial accounting and finally some of those that gained admission for further studies have not been able to cope up due to their poor foundation in financial accounting. For example SSCE (2017) analysis of percentage performance of candidate offered accounting in SSCE for 2015, 2016 and 2017  revealed 52.48%,58.21% and 51.85% respectively, failed financial accounting. (obiakor 2017) Wace office.

It is as a result of the above statements that make the researcher embark on this research work “the factors influencing performance students in financial accounting Subjects in all Government own secondary School in Enugu East Local government Area of Enugu State”.

 Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of the study is to examine thefactors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting at SSCE level in Government Secondary Schools in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria.  Specifically the study intends to indentify:

1. student factors influencing the performance students in financial accounting subject,
2. parental factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject ,

• teachers factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject,

1. government factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject,
2. administrative factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject.

 Scope of the Study

This study is meant to analyze the factors influencing the performance of student in financial accounting subject at SSCE level in Enugu East Local Government. This study is limited to Government owned Secondary Schools in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Significance of the study

This research will of benefit to the students, parents, curriculum developers, teachers and government.

Interested students or researchers who may want to carry out similar study will find this work very worthwhile. Students will also have relevant manipulative skill and become a saleable member of the society. It would also build the confidence in them as they contribute their quota in the society thereby making good living from the acquired skills. The students who have acquired such skills would be self-reliant and useful to themselves, industrial sector and society at large. The study also will help students become more strategic learners who can take significant responsibility for their learning.

This study will also be helpful to the curriculum developers to review the accounting syllabus in the future.

The outcome of this study would be beneficial to the government, being the Policy maker in planning and decision-making. It would help in policy formulation, Implementation, evaluation and reformation. The study will reveal to the government the appropriate strategies needed for improving teaching and learning of financial accounting subject in our school system, with the aim of helping to adopt them by providing grant in aid to secondary schools.

To the financial accounting teachers; the study will reveal appropriate teaching strategies that could improve the teachers effectiveness in teaching of financial accounting, It is hoped that the teachers will employ them, thereby improving teaching and learning process.

1.4 Research Questions

Based on the specific objectives, the researcher deducted the following research questions:

1. What are the students factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject?
2. What are the parents factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject?
3. What are the teachers factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject?
4. What are the governments factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject?
5. What are the administrative factors influencing the performance of students in financial accounting subject?

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