Effects of the Accounting Subject on the Personal and Social Behavior of

1st Year Accountancy Students in

San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite A.Y 2010 - 2011

Abueg, Zaira Mae P.Muelle, Princes Aura Mae S.Ong, Sarah Grace C.Pugay, Danah Lei A.Sanarez, Pamela E.

BSA1a

Statement of the Problem:

The study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What are the effects of accounting subjects on the behavior of the 1 st year

Accountancy students in San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite?

2. Is there significant effect of accounting subject on the personal and social

behavior of 1st year Accountancy students in SSC – R de Cavite?

Hypothesis:

1. The accounting subject has significant effects on the personal and social

behavior of 1st year Accountancy students in SSC – R de Cavite A.Y 2010 – 2011.

2. The accounting subject has no significant effects on the personal and social

behavior of 1st year Accountancy students in SSC – R de Cavite A.Y 2010 – 2011.

Objective:

This study will be conducted to determine the effects of the Accounting subject on the

personal and social behavior of the 1st year Accountancy Students in San Sebastian College –

Recoletos de Cavite A.Y. 2010-2011.

Specifically, the study aims to:

1. identify how the Accounting subject affect the personal and social behavior of

the 1st year Accountancy Students in San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite A.Y.

2010-2011.

2. identify the positive and negative effects of the Accounting subject on the

personal and social behavior of the 1st year Accountancy Students in San Sebastian College –

Recoletos de Cavite A.Y. 2010-2011.

3. identify possible solutions to the negative effects of the Accounting subject on

the personal and social behavior of the 1st year Accountancy Students in San Sebastian

College – Recoletos de Cavite A.Y. 2010-2011.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

In order to gain a deeper insight to this problem regarding to the effects of the Accounting subject on the personal and social behavior of Accountancy students in San Sebastian College-Recoletos de Cavite A.Y. 2010-2011, a review of related literature and studies has been conducted by the researchers. (Muelle,2009)

According to Samuel Y.S. Chan, Philomena Leung, (2006) Managerial Auditing Journal, Vol. 21 Iss: 4, pp.436 – 457, accounting students characterized as “internals” are more likely to show an ability to recognize ethical issues than those characterized as “externals.” The results also indicate that an accounting ethics intervention may have positive effect on accounting students' ethical sensitivity development. Hence, an individual who possesses the ability to determine what is ethically right or wrong (high ethical reasoning) may fail to behave ethically due to a deficiency in identifying ethical issues (low ethical sensitivity) in a situation.

In 1993 the School of Business at a large midwestern university established a task force to redesign its introductory accounting/business course. The task force shared many goals of the contemporaneous Accounting Education Change Commission, which addressed desirable attitudes and behaviors for the profession. Although approaches to knowledge and skill development are well understood at universities, much less is known about the impact of effective accounting education on student attitudes and behavior.

After implementing instructional interventions, student attitudes and study skills improved significantly over one semester. The causal relationship of attitudes and behaviors was modeled using the Theory of Reasoned Action. Self-reported behaviors were validated by external ratings and course performance. Achievement attitudes were strongly and directly influenced by subjective norms. Our results reflect positively on the activities and procedures used to create normative influences within the class. In particular, the use of teaching assistants (TAs) as positive role models was substantiated. (http://business.highbeam.com/2014/article-1G1-136387466/influence-effective-teaching-accounting-student-attitudes)

Some sectors believe that the social and economic impacts of accounting should be central in the setting of accounting standards. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) standards for gas and oil accounting and foreign currency translation are unsatisfactory, because they are based on historical cost accounting. Any successful method of accounting should take into consideration the results of the expenditures allocated and give a consistent treatment to all assets by using current cost values. Accounting information should also be as neutral as possible. Satisfactory accounting standards are important because they have an economic impact and can change economic behavior such as reinsurance and hedging. Accounting standards can also be influenced by politics. (Solomon,1986)

A survey was conducted to prove if there really is an ethical behavior in Accounting among Turkish students. The questionnaires were adapted to fit it to the cultural and structural differences in the Turkish educational system. The survey questions were also revised to reflect the view of the business student. In addition to the survey conducted among the students,

interviews were made with the instructors. The questions used in the students’ survey were directed to instructors in order to receive their opinions.

Survey results showed that students believed case-studies to result in better learning outcomes in the context of ethics education a separate ethics course. Furthermore, 58% thought that ethics education should start at the first year undergraduate level.

It is assumed that ordinary business students must adequate complete at least these three required accounting courses during their business education; financial accounting, cost accounting and managerial accounting. Ethics is emphasized in these courses. Prior research suggests that if ethical attitudes are in pct acquired through education, a significant difference would be expected between the mean of the ethical attitudes of those students who took three or more accounting courses and those who took less than three.

Previous studies on ethics in accounting education shows mix results. Unlike the findings of present study. According to Weber and Glyptis (2000), business ethics course leads an increase in business student’s concern for social issues.

According to Dellaportas (2006), an accounting ethics course can have a positive and significant effect on DIT scores of the students. According to Low, 2008; Baetz and Sharp, 2004, Bampton, 2005), the findings of this study expand the discussion in literature on ethics education in accounting by confirming the results of previous studies. (Karaibrahimolu, Erdener, Var, 2009)

Since it is the present thrust of the College of Commerce and Accountancy and the University of Baguio (UB) to improve the quality of their accounting graduates and eventually increase the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Board Examination passing percentage, the researchers looked into the students' attitudes which are believed to affect their learning styles.

This research was primarily undertaken to help improve the attitude towards the accounting subjects of the 3rd year Accountancy students and the subsequent batches under the five-year curriculum. The researchers came up with the following findings: females quite outnumber the males in the BS Accountancy (BSAC) course; both male and female students' attitude towards their subjects have very high or very dependable relationship; there is a very high or very dependable relationship between the respondents' attitude towards their subjects when they were grouped according to the type of high school they graduated from; there is high or marked relationship between the students' attitude towards their subject when they were grouped according to their parents' combined monthly income. (http://ubaguio.edu/research/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5:attitude-of-bsac-students-towards-their-accounting-subjects-&catid=24:baa)

Theoretical Framework

“Accountancy students are nerds.” This is the statement that we often hear about the accountancy students. We, the researchers, got curious of what we are the reasons why people stereotype accountancy students as this. Upon the formation of this research, the relationship of the accounting subject and its effects on the personal and social behavior of 1st year accountancy students will be tackled.

Conceptual Framework

This is simply to show the effects of the accounting subject to the personal and social behavior of the 1st year Accountancy students of San Sebastian College-Recoletos de Cavite (SSC-RdC) A.Y. 2010-2011.

Accounting Subject Effects on Personal and Social Behavior