Using in-class group assignments to improve low-achieving students’ performance in an introductory accounting course

In the United States, a high portion of students do not pass their introductory accounting courses. In this study, In-class Group Assignments (IGAs) that require students to work in small groups are used to supplement traditional lectures in Introductory Managerial Accounting. In two groups of students attending this course, four experimental IGAs are given to one group (treatment group) but not the other (control group) to assess the pedagogy’s effectiveness, especially for low-achieving students at greater risk of failure. Results on student performance for exam questions related to topics of these IGAs are consistent with improved performance among low-achieving students. Additional evidence suggests that students view IGAs favorably and use them to study for exams. IGAs could be a solution for improving performance among low-achieving, less motivated students who enroll in introductory accounting across countries.