Critical thinking : the key to success in management accounting and corporate finance

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether there is a link between students' critical thinking abilities and their performance in a management accounting and financial management (MAFM) course as part of a degree program in accounting sciences. The study used a learning orientation index tool to measure students' critical thinking ability. It also used multiple linear regression to investigate the relationship between students' ability to think critically and their marks for the different components of the course. Other variables were considered in this investigation, including gender, age, ethnicity, first or home language education, and perceived level of course enjoyment. The regression results indicate that students' critical thinking score, age, and level of enjoyment from the course are the most significant variables linked to their performance in MAFM. Many South African students do not have the opportunity to learn in their first or native language, although this variable had no significant impact on their performance in this course. The study's findings indicate that students' capacity to think critically is crucial to their performance in management accounting, corporate finance, and managerial employment after graduation.