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Introduction
discipline that permeates virtually every aspect of economic activity. Rooted in ancient
vital tool for assessing the financial health and performance of entities, be they small
expenditure patterns, asset utilization, and overall profitability. These insights are
essential for making informed decisions, mitigating risks, and optimizing resource
allocation.
history and stands as a beacon of enlightenment during the Renaissance era, “a person
should not go to sleep at night until the debits equal the credits”. Luca Pacioli believed
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accounting. He recognized that clear and systematic record-keeping was essential for
businesses and individuals to track their financial transactions and understand their
which ensures that every financial transaction is recorded twice, once as a debit and
terms of money, transactions, and events that are, in part at least, of financial
character and interpreting the results thereof.” However, in 1970, the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants changed the definition and stated, “The
decisions.”
more. These courses are designed to equip students with the necessary skills and
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The Bachelor of Science in Accountancy is “a program that provides general
in general and in public accounting in particular” (Sec. 5.2 CHED M.O. no. 27).
Graduates of this program are allowed to take the Certified Public Accountant
field lead to many employment opportunities (provided in Sec. 5.4 CHED M.O. No. 27).
This, however, will take a lot to graduate from this program. This program strictly
implement an appropriate admission policy for all students applying for BSA. Likewise,
the HEI should formulate and implement a retention policy to maintain the quality of
the BSA program” (Sec. 13.12 CHED M.O. no. 27). Retention policy refers to the
continue in the BSA program. There is, however, no specified grade to be maintained in
general. Universities and colleges offering BSA programs have distinct ways of
implementing the retention policy. Of that, as long as the satisfactory grade level given
in the particular school retention policy has been maintained, BSA students will remain
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Although the accounting program is one of the courses that provides many
opportunities in the future through its relevance to the business and corporate worlds,
its retention policy standards have affected the academic performance of BSA students
to the point of resulting in a numbered reduction of students in the program. There are
a number of freshmen students who have enrolled in the BSA program; however, not
all of them have been able to continue up until the end of the 4-year course. Some
have been able to do so; however, most have not. There are those who chose to quit
or shift to another program as a result of not meeting the standards of their first chosen
field. These instances have been shown and proven in the study of Camayo and
Gonzales (2022), wherein from 2015 to 2017, only 14% of those enrolled in the BSA
program of 572 Philippine Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) graduated in the same
period.
In years passed until today, Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF), a private
school in Naga City, in particular the College of Accountancy and Finance (CAF)
department, has strictly followed this retention policy under the 4-year BSA program it
offers. Its retention policy requires maintaining grades of 2.2 or 85 for all the subjects
and passing the qualifying examinations. For BSA students to continue with the
beneficial for the improvement and growth of students academic performance, this,
however, affects the number of students enrolled in this program and, in fact, the rate
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In the ever-changing world as well as the standards of educational institutions,
keeping students in specialized programs is a big challenge. This is especially true for
accounting, where there's always a need for talented professionals. Thus, standards are
set high. However, figuring out why students switch majors in accounting should be a
concern. With these data and information, the researchers conducted this study to
evaluate the relationship between the accounting retention policy and the rate of
students in the BSA program of Naga College Foundation, Inc., for the school year
2023-2024.
● Emotional
● Mental
● Academic Performance
policy.
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Assumptions
within the field of accounting and finance and that similar conditions and
contexts exist.
The study focuses on the relationship between retention standards and the rate
of shifting students in the BSA program at Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF) in the
academic year 2022-2023. The selection of respondents is limited to first- and second
This study aims to determine the perceived effects of the retention standards on
the respondents in the following aspects: (a) emotional; (b) mental; and (c) academic
the retention standards. Hence, topics that are not included will not be discussed. In
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addition, students who do not meet the criteria are excluded… from their different
standards on BSA students at Naga College Foundation, Inc. and to find out the
BSA students: The primary recipients of this research output are the BSA students.
This study will raise awareness of the importance of retention policies and motivate
Faculty. This study will help the faculty evaluate the efficiency of the retention policy in
improving students’ academic performance. This can also guide the faculty to better
equip students during undergrad and as an early preparation for the licensure
examination.
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Institution. This study will help the institutions assess the effectiveness of the
retention policy, be aware of the need for any improvements, and apply the policy to
the institution, particularly the CAF department, in the best way possible. It can help
Guidance Counselor. This study will provide awareness of the students's hardships
and challenges, specifically in their emotional and mental aspects and academic
endeavors. Thereby, the guidance counselor may better understand the students and
provide them with the best guidance for their academic, career, and personal growth.
JPIA Community. The study will provide insights for school activities and events to
prepare that may be helpful for the students to enhance their skills, knowledge, and
Parents. The study will raise awareness among parents about the challenges faced by
the students in the particular program and provide students with greater support and
Peer. This study will provide awareness and understanding of students challenges in an
academic program and motivate them to strive harder for their chosen career path.
Researchers. The results of this study will provide the researcher with a greater
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Future Researchers. The content of this study can serve as a reference and guide for
Definition of Terms
This part presents the terms that were conceptually and operationally defined as
used in this study. It consists of the definition of the retention policy and the aspects it
Retention Policy. It outlines the specific required grade that a student must attain in
order to pass the semester. This study focuses on the retention policy of the BSA
every subject, and passing a qualifying examination is required before the start of the
moods, and attitudes that influence an individual's thoughts, behaviors, and interactions
anger, fear, love, and more, and plays a significant role in human psychology and social
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dynamics. This study will determine the effect of retention policy on student's emotions,
Mental Aspect. Pertains to cognitive functions, processes, and activities related to the
cognition and consciousness. The study will determine the effect of retention policy on
the mental stress and capacity of students in the NCF's College of Accountancy and
taking exams, and earning grades or other forms of assessment. It typically reflects a
skills, and overall academic engagement. This study will determine the effect of
and in public accounting retention policy. This study selected the students who have
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Shifting Student. Refers to the process wherein students transfer from one academic
program or major to another within the same educational institution. The shifting
students in this study pertain to the dependent variables who took the BSA program
and decided to pursue a different track, as well as those who were affected by the
Notes
Cmo, N. (2017). Revised Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) for Bachelor
of Science in Accountancy. https://ched.gov.ph/2017-ched-memorandum Retrieved:
March 1, 2024
Visser, B., Njoroge J., Lynn G. (2011, May 26) Emotional Intelligence: The Role
of Accounting Education and Work Experience.
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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265105667_Emotional_Intelligence_The_Role
_of_Accounting_Education_and_Work_Experience Retrieved: March 20, 2024
This section presents the related studies and literature relevant to the particular
area of research. The chapter also presents the significant gap between the previous
as well as financial statements that are significant for decision-making. Hence, there is
a great industry demand for accounting graduates. Despite the demand and the fact
that many students actually took up the BSA program, not all have been able to finish
it. With these, different studies and literature are collected to determine why students
decide to shift programs and discontinue the pursuit of the BSA course.
The researchers divided the related literature into three parts: 1) the program; 2)
the retention policy; and 3) the rate of shifting students, which include local and foreign
studies to support the researchers' claims as well as a basis for the study. The purpose
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of this chapter is to guide and assist the researchers with their topic and to provide a
more comprehensive knowledge of the study. Moreover, future researchers may also
The Program
path paves the way to a variety of career paths in the business realm, notably in
program sees a significant portion of its students opting to switch majors due to its
demands. Upon completion, aspirants are required to pass the Certified Public
the licensure exam in the Philippines has witnessed persistently low pass rates, with an
average pass rate of 23.51% observed from May 2017 through May 2022. Disturbingly,
during the CPALE conducted in May 2019, it was found that 38% of the institutions in
the Philippines offering this course reported a 0% success rate, further exacerbating the
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Baysa and Lupisan (2011) characterized accounting as a service-oriented
economic entities.
language utilized to convey crucial information for decision-making (p. 9). The author
further emphasizes that every business shares a common requirement: the necessity
for vital information before undertaking significant decisions. Accounting fulfills this
presenting these details in the form of pertinent information (p. 2). Abelada (2010), in
another literary work, asserts that accounting is primarily introduced within the context
essential for effective business operations, guiding both short-term and long-term
experience stress due to their studies. The demanding nature of the program,
well-being of the students. While activities are designed to enhance students' skills, an
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overload of these tasks can hinder their educational progress. Such an overwhelming
amount of work does not facilitate a deeper comprehension of the material. Instead, it
different educational field. These reasons often include the student's personal interests,
faculty members, or the challenging nature of the accounting program itself. Due to
these factors, it attracts the attention of the researchers to conduct this research to
identify the reasons why the population of BSA students at Naga College Foundation is
decreasing.
According to the study of Camayo and Gonzales in 2022, from 2015–2017, only
23,225 (14%) out of 160,622 enrolled in 572 Philippine Higher Educational Institutions
(HEIs) graduated in the same period. The strict retention policies implemented by the
universities were mainly the reason. According to the foregoing authors, in their study
of the particular university, on average, only 49% of sophomores remain in the BSA
program, and 12% were qualified and continued at their third-year level. 61% of the
students who were not eligible for the program decided to transfer to BSBA
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Management Accounting instead. The results of their research highlighted the main
factors behind the lack of success in the BSA program, including not passing the
courses, and failing to maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all BSA program subjects.
based on the study of Salcedo, Pamintuan, Maliit, Cruz, and Balingit (2021), in the case
of De La Salle University-Manila (2016), to enter the BSA program, twelve (12) units of
basic accounting courses must be earned first. The student must take and pass a
law, and taxation subjects is required for students to stay in the program.
Several schools have formulated their own policies, while others have adopted retention
policies. Upon the proclamation of the Philippine Accountancy Act of 2004, qualifying
exams for each year level, depending upon the discretion of the school, and
comprehensive exams for the terminal level have been implemented. All areas of
accounting, finance, taxation, and auditing are covered in the comprehensive exams, as
it is essential to equip students for their undergrad. (Salcedo, A.V., Pamintuan, J.B.B.,
Retention policy, mainly, is the reason for BSA students not being able to
continue in the BSA program or opting to shift to another program. There is, however,
a related study about such issues stating other reasons for accounting attrition.
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According to Osman, O’Leary, and Brimble (2014), in their extended studies of existing
literature, there are three factors that impact accounting attrition. These are external
factors, institutional internal factors, and demographic factors. External factors include
financial factors, loss of interest in accounting studies, and family pressure. For
and teaching resources are some. Lastly, there is the demographic factor, which relates
Another related study is according to Oding, Palang-at, and San Jose (2021),
which states that a retention policy is a significant guiding principle applied by academic
institutions in fostering students's growth, yet evidence on how the effect of this policy
changes through the outcome in students's intellect and morality has been unraveled.
Their study revealed the views and perspectives of students on academic retention
policy. As stated, retention policy has become a tool of encouragement for students to
mentioned that retention policies became a source of stress due to compliance with
discrimination against slow learners. The findings of the study indicate that a
misconception about the retention policy can be resolved through concrete action, such
as strong academic support and resources for students. Further stated, if the policy was
well accepted by the student, a positive reaction would happen; otherwise, the student
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retention policy is important. In addition, offering psychological programs and tutorial
respectively.
There are a lot of reasons why students choose to change their program and
shift to a different field or path. In a study conducted by M. Jaradat, Ed. D (2017), the
reasons influencing a student's choice to switch majors were classified into positive and
different major, guidance from parents, constructive interactions with peers and
teachers, and improved career prospects in the new field of study. The appropriateness
Shaw and Mattern (2013) identified in their study that inspecting the contrast
between the student's forecasted first-year grade point average (FYGPA), according to
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), and high school grade point average (HSGPA) scores
can be an instrument in understanding the risk of the student not completing a college
major or leaving the university or the institution. The authors also discovered from the
results of the hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) analysis that even after
gender, selectivity, and control of institution, students that have a smaller residual were
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likely to go back to a university or institution in their second, third, and fourth years of
college.
Brooks (2012) underscores that students taking five or six years to complete
their undergraduate degrees, as reported by the College Board, are not uncommon.
After six years, more than 40% of individuals embarking on a four-year program have
yet to finish it. Various factors contribute to the prolonged college experience, including
gaining practical experience through part-time work, and financing their education.
costs and diminished academic progress. It is also the most direct route to preventing
completion.
As per Kathleen Peterson's findings in 2006, the study aims to explore the
examines three pivotal decision junctures: initial major selection, subsequent major
changes, and considerations for future majors. Notably, 47% of respondents expressed
positive attitudes toward their major selections, despite many participants ultimately
changing majors during their college tenure. Those who initially chose majors aligned
with their personal interests and those who changed majors for intrinsic reasons were
less likely to switch again. Additionally, the study revealed a higher propensity for
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female students to change majors compared to their male counterparts, suggesting
Uyar, Gungormus, and Kuzey (2011) discussed the factors that students are
students who answered "yes" and "no." The study investigated the students' academic
accounting career. They found a positive and negative association with the student's
the study reveals that first-year college students opt to change majors primarily
because of the challenges posed by their initial majors. In their second year, the
influence shifts to their college instructors. Third-year students attribute their decision
to either the difficulty of their previous majors or a lack of stimulation. Lastly, fourth-
year students cite parental influence as a significant factor in their choice to switch to a
new major.
influences, and demographic factors like gender and socioeconomic status as key
determinants of students' retention and success in the BSA program. However, gaps
mechanisms, and the interplay of these factors. Addressing these gaps through
The study conducted by Camayo and Gonzales (2022) revealed the primary
reasons for not succeeding in the BSA program, such as failure to pass the battery
examination, not meeting the minimum grade requirement of accounting courses, and
failure to maintain a GWA of 2.0 and above in all the subjects in the BSA program.
Salcedo, Pamintuan, Maliit, Cruz, and Balingit (2021) also indicate a minimum grade of
2.0 in accounting, finance, law, and taxation subjects is required for students to stay in
the program. The foregoing authors also stated, however, that several schools have
formulated their own policies, while others have adopted existing retention policies. On
the other hand, the study of Oding, Palang-at, and San Jose (2021) is different from the
retention policy. The study revealed that retention policy has become a tool of
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However, it was also mentioned that retention policies became a source of stress due to
making across various sectors. However, concerns regarding attrition rates within the
program highlight the need for effective retention strategies and student support
mechanisms. While prior research has examined factors influencing students' decisions
to shift majors or discontinue the BSA program, including program rigor, retention
policies, external influences, and demographic factors like gender and socioeconomic
status, there are notable gaps in understanding the underlying causes and dynamics
driving attrition rates. Specifically, existing studies have not deeply explored the specific
reasons behind students' decisions to leave the BSA program, necessitating a more
nuanced investigation into the underlying causes driving attrition rates. Additionally,
while retention policies are acknowledged as significant, their direct and indirect effects
paths, there is a gap in understanding how gender and socioeconomic status intersect
comprehensive investigation into the factors influencing students' retention in the BSA
program. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, it will explore the underlying
support mechanisms. The findings of this study are expected to provide insights into
enhancing the quality of accounting education and improving students' academic and
professional outcomes. Through systematic inquiry and analysis, this research aims to
shed light on the complex dynamics influencing students' retention in the BSA program
strategies for promoting student success and ensuring the sustainability of accounting
education.
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Notes
Salcedo, A.V., Pamintuan, J.B.B., Malit, R.P., Cruz A.C.D., & Balingit E.P., (2021).
Factors Affecting the Takers of the Qualifying Examinations as Part of the Accountancy
Program Retention Policy: The Case of a University in Central Luzon Philippines.
International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research. 2
(7), 565 – 573 doi: 10.11594/ijmaber.02.07.04 Retrieved: February 25, 2024
Oding, M. L. E., Palang-At, J. A., & Jose, A. E. S. (2021). To pass or not to pass:
A qualitative inquiry on students’ views on the academic retention policy. Journal of
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Education and Learning, 15(2), 161–167.
https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v15i2.20067 Retrieved: March 5, 2024
Rellin, R., Pataueg, R., Pineda, R., Sabalo J. (2021). A Study on the Accounting
Education Culture of the University of Saint Louis,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342706100_A_Study_on_the_Accounting_Ed
ucation_Culture_of_the_University_of_Saint_Louis_Philippines Retrieved: March 6, 2024
Salcedo, A., Pamintuan, J. B. B., Malit, R. P., Cruz, A. C. D., & Balingit, E. P.
(2021). Factors Affecting the Takers of the Qualifying Examinations as Part of the
Accountancy Program Retention Policy: The Case of a University in Central Luzon
Philippines. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education
Research, 2(7), 565-573. https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber. Retrieved: March 3, 2024
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