Evaluating various student attitudes towards classroom non-attendance and the correlation prevalent within student activity.

1. Classroom non-attendance: perception
of students in Southampton Solent
University
Obi Ede
Obi.ede@solent.ac.uk

2. Role of Higher Education
Education is believed to be an intentional
behaviour change process.
The role of universities in this process is
important.
Higher education providers believe that
student’s attendance at scheduled class is an
integral part of this change process
(Alyildiz and Kuguoglu, 2010).

3. Student Attendance (%)
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
SADF SBLC SMAT SMSE SSHSS
Student Attendance (%)
Sep 16- Dec 16 Jan 17 - March 17
Source: Student engagement system – Academic Services

4. Research Aim
To determine factors that are likely to
influence students’ absenteeism

5. Attendance and student learning
There is evidence that attendance is an important
ingredient of student learning, especially when
learning opportunities are predicated on physical
presence.
This does not suggest that attendance alone results in
student learning.

6. Theoretical framework
Intrinsic Motivation: Humans in their healthiest states
are active, curious and playful creatures, display
readiness to learn and explore without external
incentives to do so.

7. Sampling Technique
Convenient sampling technique
Questionnaire was used to collect data from
students (levels 4-6).
Sample size is 290

8. Demographic Data
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Male Female
56%
44%
Gender (%)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
45%
24%
31%
Study Level (%)

9. Descriptive statistics
1-5 Times 6-10 Times 11-15 Times 16-20 Times 21 Times and
above
None
34%
27%
15%
9% 9%
6%
ABSENCE SINCE BEGINNING OF TERM

10. Variables
Student Attitude Attendance not
checked.
Time Less Challenging Unit
Get school work done
or study for an exam
Attendance is not
compulsory
Two or more hours
before or after another
class
Class offers little or no new
information as course
material follows textbook
closely
Completing assignment
at the last minute
Attendance is not
checked
Early in the morning
(09:00am)
Content discussed are basic
(ie not challenging)
School-related event
(eg. Exam)
End of a long day (ie.
over four hours
learning)
Had in class test the
day before
In class test the next
day

11. Result
Dependent Variable Model 1 Model 2
Non-Attendance (Lectures)
Independent Variables
Attendance not checked 0.312*** 0.319***
(0.103) (0.104)
Time 0.406*** 0.376***
(0.124) (0.124)
Less Challenging Unit 0.032 0.054
(0.114) (0.114)
Student Attitude 0.284* 0.335**
(0.162) (0.163)
Student Age -0.032 -0.012
(0.033) (0.033)
Job hours per week 0.026** 0.024**
(0.012) (0.012)
First Year (dummy) 0.496**
'(0.220)
R Square 19.6 21.7
F stat 9.436 9.015
Prob. >F 0.000 0.000
No. Obs. 238 235

12. Working hours per week
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
ZERO HOURS 1-10 HOURS 11-20 HOURS 21-30 HOURS 31 HOURS AND
ABOVE
49.4
12
27.3
10.1
1.2
No of hours per week (%)

13. Conclusion
Students choose whether and how they will engage
with their studies.
Present day students expect the university to plan
academic activities around their lives rather than
vice-versa.
Non-attendance tends to decrease as students
progress.

14. References
Alyidiz, A., and Kuguoglu, I. (2010) Evaluating of the reasons for
absenteeism in terms of different variables according to their own
perceptions of pre-service teachers. Procedia Social and Behavioural
Services (2) 2577-2582
Khong, R., Dunn, J., Lim, C and Yap, W (2015) Why do students attend
lectures? Exploring justifications for attendance among undergraduate
students from a British university in Asia. The Journal Of Developing Areas
50(5): 498-506
Persky et al. (2014) Classroom attendance: Factors and perceptions of
students and faculty in US school of pharmacy Currents in Pharmacy
Teaching & Learning 6: 1-9.
Ryman, R. and Deci, E. (2000) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: Classic
definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology 25:
54-67
Schmulian, A. and Coetzee, A. (2011) Class absenteeism: Reasons for non-
attendance and the effect on academic performance. Accounting Research
Journal 24(2): 178-194

15. Question