An examination of self‐efficacy and sense of belonging on accounting student achievement

Abstract

Student success is impacted by many factors, both individual and institutional. We examine Tinto's (Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 2017, 19, 254) theoretical model of achievement by surveying students enrolled in an introductory accounting subject (n = 132) at a New Zealand university twice and relating their responses to their levels of achievement in the subject. We find that both self‐efficacy beliefs and a sense of belonging to the university are significantly related to academic success. This study builds on the body of work examining non‐cognitive factors in accounting education and provides practical implications for accounting educators.