Teachers’ perspectives on student underperformance in Leaving Certificate Accounting

Abstract

This study examines the reasons for student underperformance in Leaving Certificate Accounting. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory was used to perceive and distill the literature. Thirty-minute, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five experienced post primary Accounting teachers. Thematic analysis drew out three key and several sub-themes. Student underperformance can be attributed to approximately thirty reasons including mobile phone distraction, lack of self-belief, absenteeism, reasons that would not be lost on many people. What is far more interesting is that the reasons for underperformance can be broadly attributed to interactions between stakeholders across a range of ecological systems: The home; The School and the government.