EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF DRIVERS AFFECTING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF ACCOUNTANCY AND FINANCE STUDENTS: A STUDY ON SELECTED STATE UNIVERSITIES IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Globally, education is one of the most powerful tools for enhancing the quality of human life. Education lays the foundation for a successful future for people and society. Academic performance refers to the extent to which a student achieves their short- or long-term educational goals. It is commonly measured using continuous assessments, tests, and examinations. Accordingly, this study focuses on the impact of drivers on the academic performance of accountancy and finance students at selected state universities in Sri Lanka, and how these factors have affected them. The study framework delineates driving factors as academic conduct, integrity, time management, motivation, and self-determination, which were identified as independent variables. By contrast, academic performance is a dependent variable, with resource quality as a control variable. Employing a quantitative methodology, this study used random sampling to select 331 undergraduates from approximately 2384 accountancy and finance students enrolled in selected state universities across Sri Lanka. Universities were chosen according to the availability of accountancy and finance degrees under the classification provided by the Institute of Charted Accountants of Sri Lanka. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire underpinned by five hypotheses. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used as analytical techniques. The results indicated a significant relationship between the selected key factors and academic performance. However, all the other variables had a positive relationship with academic performance, except for the integration factor. Overall, the findings revealed a significant positive correlation between driving factors and academic performance. The study concludes with a substantial relationship between the crucial driving factors and academic performance. Therefore, the study found that critical factors such as academic conduct, time management, self-motivation, and self-determination significantly influence the academic performance of accountancy and finance students in selected state universities of Sri Lanka. These findings highlight the importance of fostering key driving factors that enhance students' academic success. The main limitation is that the study's findings are specific to accountancy and finance students at selected state universities in Sri Lanka. However, it must be discussed whether these findings can be generalized to other disciplines or regions. This study contributes to the existing knowledge by revealing how key factors influence academic performance in Sri Lankan universities, providing insights specific to the local context. These findings can be extended to explore academic performance in other regions and disciplines.