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Effect of Financial Inclusion on the Choice of Accounting as a Career among Accounting Education Students

Abstract

Financial inclusion refers to the availability, accessibility, and effective use of appropriate financial services by individuals and businesses, while career choice refers to the decision to select a particular occupation or professional field for future employment. Increased access to banking services, digital financial platforms, electronic payments, savings products, credit facilities, and other financial services has expanded students’ exposure to financial activities and may influence their perception of accounting as a career. This study therefore seeks to examine the effect of financial inclusion on the choice of accounting as a career among Accounting Education students. Financial inclusion involves access to formal financial institutions, banking services, digital payment systems, savings opportunities, credit facilities, and other financial products. Students who interact with these services may gain greater awareness of how financial transactions are conducted, recorded, monitored, and reported. Such experiences can provide practical exposure to financial activities and increase students’ understanding of the relevance of accounting knowledge in managing and reporting financial information. The choice of accounting as a career reflects students’ willingness to select accounting-related occupations and develop professional careers within the accounting field. Students’ career choices may be influenced by their exposure to financial activities, understanding of financial systems, perception of accounting responsibilities, and awareness of the practical relevance of accounting knowledge. Financial inclusion may therefore influence career choice by increasing students’ familiarity with financial transactions and demonstrating the importance of accounting skills within an increasingly financially connected environment. The study will adopt a quantitative research design. The population will comprise Accounting Education students in selected tertiary institutions. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure students’ exposure to financial inclusion and their choice of accounting as a career, including access to financial services, use of digital financial platforms, familiarity with financial transactions, and willingness to pursue accounting-related careers. The instrument will be subjected to appropriate validity and reliability procedures before administration. Data collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, while the relevant hypothesis will be tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study is expected to establish that financial inclusion has a significant effect on the choice of accounting as a career among Accounting Education students. Students with greater exposure to financial services and digital financial activities are expected to demonstrate stronger awareness of the practical relevance of accounting and greater willingness to consider accounting as a professional career. The findings are expected to have implications for teaching and learning in Accounting Education. Accounting lecturers may need to connect accounting concepts with students’ everyday experiences with banking, electronic payments, savings, digital financial services, and other financial activities. Using practical financial situations in accounting instruction may help students recognize the relevance of accounting knowledge and develop a stronger interest in accounting-related careers. The study will be beneficial to Accounting Education students, lecturers, tertiary institutions, curriculum developers, financial institutions, and professional accounting organizations. Students may gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between financial activities and accounting practice, while lecturers and institutions may obtain useful information for strengthening career-oriented accounting instruction. Financial institutions and professional bodies may also benefit from improved awareness of accounting career opportunities among students who actively engage with formal financial services. The study recommends that tertiary institutions should incorporate practical financial inclusion experiences into Accounting Education and provide students with greater exposure to contemporary financial services and digital financial activities. Lecturers should demonstrate how financial transactions and services create accounting information and professional responsibilities. The study concludes that greater exposure to financial inclusion may enhance students’ understanding of the relevance of accounting and contribute to their willingness to choose accounting as a career.

Keywords: Financial Inclusion, Career Choice, Accounting Career, Accounting Education, Accounting Students, Financial Services, Digital Finance, Banking Services, Financial Literacy, Career Interest, Accounting Profession, Career Awareness, Financial Transactions, Career Intention, Professional Development