Belief perseverance in students’ perceptions of accounting in a distance-learning environment: evidence from a GCC university

Purpose - By drawing on Belief Perseverance Theory (BPT), this study investigates the pre- and post-perceptions of the First Accounting Course (FAC) differentiating between accounting and non-accounting students in a virtual learning setting at a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) university, and explains why students' perceptions have formed. Design/methodology/approach - Adopting a case study approach, this study employs quantitative (anonymous questionnaires) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) methods. Findings - Responses from 142 financial accounting students indicate that non-accounting majors generally changed the students' perceptions significantly at the end of the semester, whereas students' accounting counterparts had relatively stable perceptions. This study also finds that a large number of non-accounting students perceived the benefits of taking the FAC and generally have less negative perceptions of the accounting profession, which supports the notion that non-accounting students evaluated discrediting information to reassess non-accounting students pre-established perceptions. Practical implications - This study has several implications as follows: for the accounting education literature on how FAC assists students in changing students' perceptions through the lens of BPT, for professional accounting bodies to find ways to promote accounting careers for students and for educators to increase students’ desire for accounting study and profession. Originality/value - The findings from this study are expected to contribute to GCC society by providing clarifications towards increasing students’ desire for accounting studies and professions.