Impact of self-esteem and student-and-lecturer interaction on academic performance in a chartered accounting programme

ABSTRACT

Literature has shown that there is a link between self-esteem and how students interact with their peers and lecturers. This relationship will impact on two learning outcomes – learning performance and academic performance. Chartered accounting programmes are measured by whether students pass a professional qualifying examination at the end of their university studies. One way of improving the pass-rate of students in Chartered accounting programmes and in the professional qualifying examination, is to improve their self-esteem and the level of student-student interaction and lecturer-student interaction.

This study intends to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and student interaction and therefore learning performance and academic performance in a chartered accounting programme at a historically disadvantaged university in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

A positivistic, survey approach was used to collect data from 313 students (65% of the population). Responses were analysed using general structural equation modelling.

The study found that self-esteem influences student-student interaction, lecturer-student interaction, learning performance and academic performance. As suggested in previous research, these findings support developing an environment that improves students’ self-esteem and facilitates interactions which lead to greater student learning. In order to improve students’ performance in accounting qualifications lecturers should implement strategies to improve the self-esteem of students and to encourage students to engage actively in the learning process.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-esteem
• student-student interaction
• lecturer-student interaction
• learning performance
• academic performance
• chartered accounting programme

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data available on request.

Notes

1. Scale 1 = below 45%; 2 = 45–49%; 3 = 50–54%; 4 = 55–60%; 5 = above 60%.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the support of the Govan Mbeki Research Development Centre and the Research Niche Area within the Faculty of Management and Commerce at the University of Fort Hare.

Notes on contributors

Wendy Terblanche

Mrs Wendy Terblanche is a senior lecturer in the Nkuhlu Department of Accounting at the University of Fort Hare. Her research interests are in accounting education, intellectual capital and integrated reporting.

Dharmini Fakir

Mrs Dharmini Fakir is a lecturer within the Nkuhlu Department of Accounting at the University of Fort Hare. Her research interests are broadly within accounting education.

Willie Chinyamurindi

Prof Willie Chinyamurindi is an NRF Rated Researcher (Y2) and an Associate Professor within the Department of Business Management at the University of Fort Hare. He also serves as the Research Niche Area Leader within the Faculty of Management and Commerce at the same university. His research interests are broadly within human capital development, career management and the use of qualitative methodology within the management sciences.

Syden Mishi

Professor Syden Mishi is an Associate Professor within the Economics Department at the Nelson Mandela University. He is a research specialist, specialising in teaching and conducting research using various designs and methodologies.