The relationship between self-efficacy and accounting students' academic performance at a South African university

Abstract

Racial transformation is crucial for South African higher education institutions, the accounting profession and the country as a whole. Consequently, determinants of students’ academic success must be at the forefront of accounting education research. Understanding these determinants will assist universities to better assist students with their learning. This study focused on self-efficacy in academic performance—a previously limited research area in South African accounting education. The aim was to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance amongst students registered in a second-year undergraduate course for an accounting degree at a South African university. It was found that self-efficacy was moderately positively correlated with academic performance. The findings indicate that it is worthwhile performing further empirical research on self-efficacy, especially while controlling for other significant factors affecting students’ academic performance.