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This study examines the learning experiences of government-sponsored second-year international accounting students at a host university in New Zealand. There is an expectation that being financially advantaged, government-sponsored students should navigate better in the new learning environment. Nonetheless, the results show that they experienced the typical situational challenges faced by other international students in foreign universities. These challenges were so significant that were not even mitigated by having scholarships or previous excellent academic records. The implicit expectation is for the home institution and government sponsor to have a pro-active role in collaborating with the host university in the foreign country to provide pre- and post-departure support. Academic adjustment is a gradual process; thus, future research may include international students at different stages of study to better understand their coping strategies and their relationships with academic achievements.

This study examines the effects of synchronous and non-synchronous online engagement on the academic performance of accounting students at a New Zealand university based on their choice of course delivery format – either distance learning or face-to-face learning with online components (F2F+). We track accounting students as they complete three financial accounting courses over three consecutive years. Drawing on social constructivism theory, we find that both synchronous and non-synchronous student online engagement are positively related to their academic performance, and this positive effect varies across assessment types. The positive effect of synchronous online engagement on student performance is more pronounced when students choose to learn via F2F+ rather than via distance learning. Further analyses show that the positive effect persists among students with different characteristics. These findings highlight the useful role of student online engagement in learning and provide support for universities to allow students to choose their preferred course delivery format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the employability skills of accountants cited in job advertisements in Australia and New Zealand, as they indicate the skills that are most valued by employers. The results indicate interpersonal and personal are the most frequently requested skills. Of the 31 identified skills, the most sought-after skills included the ability to collaborate with colleagues, present, discuss and defend views, and having a positive attitude. Overall, a team player with a positive attitude and good communication skills appeared to be the most valued behavioural skill as perceived by employers. This reflects the changing work of accountants, from being 'backroom number crunchers' to engaged business professionals. Although the results indicate some differences in skills requested across the five accounting occupational subgroups, interpersonal and personal skills again stood out as the most frequently cited skills. The results indicate the importance of incorporating such skills development in the accounting curriculum.

This study examines the impact of learning styles on academic performance using major assessment methods (examinations and assignments including multiple-choice and constructed response questions (CRQs)) in an introductory accounting course. Students' learning styles were assessed using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory Version 3.1. The results indicate that students' learning styles, after controlling for other variables, are associated with academic performance, particularly, in the final examination including both formats, multiple-choice questions and CRQs. Students who exhibit the "assimilating" learning style appear to perform better in some of the assessments than students with "diverging" or "accommodating" learning styles. The findings have implications for designing assessments to ensure that they are not biased towards particular learning styles which would improve their validity and fairness.