An investigation on students’ perception of possible factors that affect their academic performance at a University of Technology

Abstract

The successful completion of a module measures student performance at tertiary institutions through ascertaining predetermined pass percentages. The lack of conceptualization of content by a student, may affect the students’ academic achievement. This paper aimed to investigate students' perceptions on the factors that may impact Cost Accounting students' performance and determine if these factors have a significant association with a student’s performance. The independent variables identified were attendance, age, gender, grade 12 results and language, whilst the dependent variable was academic performance in the Cost Accounting module. Using a sample of 180 students registered for Cost Accounting II in their second year of study, the data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that student attendance has a positive impact on student performance in the module. The findings of this study may be useful to higher education institutions and academics as it highlights the factors that influence students' academic achievement.