Nexus of learning style with satisfaction and success of accounting students: A cross-cultural study at an Australian university

This paper examines the associations of cultural factors and learning styles with the satisfaction and success of undergraduate accounting students in Australia. Using a structured questionnaire, responses from 189 students were collected randomly from domestic and international students enrolled in an accounting programme at the University of Canberra. Results reveal that a large number of international students studying accounting at the university are from China and they possess a collectivistic cultural background. The learning style of these international students is more reflective but less inclusive and concrete. They are also quite satisfied and successful with their programme. In contrast, it was found that Australian students prefer a more inclusive and concrete learning style, but they show much less satisfaction when studying accounting. Furthermore, students who have characteristics of logical thinking, hard working and feel personally involved in things show significantly higher levels of satisfaction in terms of learning outcomes and success in their accounting programme.