Readiness of first year business students in basic accounting course: A pre-post analysis

• Main Authors: Bendo, Mark Vincent B., Tugas, Florenz C.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: Accounting—Ability testing; Accounting
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/9265
• Institution: De La Salle University

Among the issues identified in the maiden implementation of K to 12 program in the Philippines is the readiness of senior high school (SHS) graduates coming in as first year students in college. This study, therefore, aims to determine their readiness in terms of Accounting, Finance, and Taxation topics. To do this, a pre- and post- 90-item diagnostic exam based on the syllabus provided for by the Department of Education (DepEd) was administered to 107 selected first year De La Salle University (DLSU) business students (both BSA and non-BSA) who took the Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) strand in SHS. Results of the pre-test, administered at the start of the term, showed that overall, students had difficulty in the areas of merchandising (such as journalizing, adjusting entries, and preparation of financial statements), bank reconciliation, financial statement analysis, and income and business taxation. Moreover, results of the post-test, administered at the end of the term, showed that overall, average total scores increased. As expected, it was observed that scores in items pertaining to bank reconciliation, financial statement analysis, and income and business taxation did not manifest substantial improvement as those topics were outside the scope of the Basic Accounting course offered that term. It is therefore recommended that interventions such as review and alignment of FABM1 and FABM2 syllabi and capacity-building of SHS teachers be conducted. In the same manner, it is also recommended that the entire ABM strand be revisited to address identified gaps and redundancies in the courses covered. Though it is sufficing to say that this study momentarily provides baseline results of K to 12 program implementation, it is still recommended that the same study be extended to a period of at least five (5) years involving private and state schools for a more conclusive and generalizable result.