Absenteeism: Its Effect on the Academic Performance of

Selected SHS Students

A Literature Review by Hans Christian Tangente, Peterlou Hormaza and Von Nelson
Jacildo
John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime Univrsity Arevalo Inc., 2016

Introduction

Absenteeism happens when a student fails to his/her class on a regular basis

that is usually prolonged for days, weeks or even months. On the other hand,

absenteeism occurs due to several reasons such as family conflicts, financial

problems, tardiness, and addiction to computer. This creates a negative impact

unto the students academic performance that may lead him/her to fail unto

examinations due to lack of knowledge about the lessons, getting low grades due to

low scores or worse, being excluded in the class.

In the study conducted by Newman Wadesango and Severino Machingambi

(2011), student absenteeism is a major concern for lecturers at institutions of higher

learning. Absences create a dead, tiresome, unpleasant classroom environment that

makes students who come to class uncomfortable and the lecturer irritable

(Marburger 2011).

Absenteeism disturbs the dynamic teaching-learning environment and

adversely affects the overall well-being of classes (Segal 2008). In quality terms,

absenteeism is a waste of educational resources, time and human potential.

Student absenteeism also causes rework and wasted time for lecturers (Lalek 1995;

Rumberger 1997).
 Lecturers who spend class time re-teaching lessons take instructional time

away from students who attend class regularly, and the extra time spent going over

absentee homework and class assignments takes time away from lecturer planning

periods and time needed to provide individual assistance (Weller 1996).

According to Durden and Ellis (1995) investigated the link between overall

course grade and self-reported attendance levels in a sample of 346 principles of

economics students over three semesters. Their results, based on OLS controlling

for ability and motivational factors (GPA, college-entrance exam scores, having had

a course in calculus) indicate that attendance matters for academic performance. In

particular, whereas low levels of absenteeism have little effect on the eventual

outcome, excessive absenteeism has a large and significant effect.

1. Effect on the Academic Performance

When students are absent from class, they miss valuable information

resulting from peer-lecturer interaction and the benefits of the specific examples

lecturers use to clarify difficult concepts. This valuable part of the learning

experience cannot be replicated when lecturers re-teach (Wadesango and

Machingambi 2011). Another observed absenteeism by Walter Sisulu University,

Republic of South Africa that can affect of class absenteeism on Grade Performance

especially in a Probabilistic Neural Net (PNN) based trained model.

It is widely believed in academia, that consistent class attendance is a key

factor in the academic success of students. Several studies have quantitatively

confirmed this belief, revealing that absenteeism negatively impacts student

academic performance. Stanca (2014) used a large panel data set from an
introductory microeconomics course to correlate the effects of attendance on course

performance.

One example is a research study conducted by the SIMAD University. The

main objective is to study the effects of students attendance on academic

performance is to investigate the relationship between student attendance and

academic performance and to examine factors that affect student attendance at

SIMAD University. Sample size of 100 students was selected from SIMAD University

students, especially faculty of Business and Accountancy, last semester students.

Both primary and secondary data was used in order to answer research questions.

Questionnaire and content analysis were used as research instrument. The study

found that there is a moderate positive relationship between student attendance

and academic performance.

Haque and Sudhakar (2012) believes that an artificial neural network (ANN)

model can similarly be trained to classify the correlation between student

performance (pass/fail or grades A, B, C, D, F) and external factors. Hence, the

authors objective of this research was to implement a Probabilistic Neural Net

(PNN) based Genetic Algorithm model to determine the effect of absenteeism on

overall student grade performance in his Structural Systems II course.

Overall, the research results indicated that, even after controlling for

unobservable student characteristics (such as ability, effort, and motivation),

attendance still exhibited a statistically significant and quantitatively relevant effect

on student achievement.

2. Effects on the Exam Performance

 Marburger(2011) investigated the relationship between students'

absenteeism and subsequent exam performance in a basic microeconomics course.

Records were maintained regarding the specific class sessions missed by

students throughout the semester. Records were also kept of the sessions wherein

course materials relating to specific multiple-choice test questions were discussed.

A qualitative choice model revealed that students who missed class on a particular

date were significantly more likely to respond incorrectly to questions relating to

that sessions material than were students who had been present. (Marburger

2011).

Choudhury (2008) used a multiple regression analysis to examine the

relationship between absenteeism and final grade performance in a construction

materials and methods course. External factors including the differences in

academic ability, quiz performance, and student gender were also included in the

model to determine if absenteeism maintained its role as a statistically relevant

factor in grade performance. The findings generated from the analysis indicated

that attendance and academic ability of a student positively correlated with student

performance in the course.

Based on the results of the study by the SIMAD University, the researchers

suggest that all students, particularly prospective students and those students who

are not as academically strong, to be informed about the importance influence of

class attendance on academic performance. And also the study recommended that

universities should maintain or develop strict guidelines for student attendance and

monitor factors that could hinder a student from attending class on a regular basis.
 The study of determinants of a college students academic performance is an

important issue in higher education, among all factors, whether or not attending

lectures and classroom discussions affects a students exam performance has

received considerable attention (Chen and Lin, 2006). It is commonly assumed that

university students benefit from attending lectures (Stanca, 2014). Lectures and

other class meetings are a primary means of instructions in almost all

undergraduate courses (Romer, 1993).

3. Relationship between attendances in school to the Academic

Performance

Attendance in school is important because students are more likely to

succeed in academics when they attend school consistently (Pascopella, 2007).

It is difficult for teachers and students to build skills and progress if large

numbers of students are frequently absent. In addition to falling behind in

academics, students who are not in school on a regular basis are more likely to get

into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities (Hocking, 2008).

What factors lead to student absenteeism and would the implementation of an

incentive program motivate students to come to Campus regularly in last semester

students of faculty of business and accountancy in SIMAD University are carried out

in accordance of established goals, policies and procedures.

In European Union, it is commonly assumed that university students benefit

from attending lectures. This assumption, however, needs to be tested, as

developments in information technology are increasingly calling for a reassessment

of the traditional approach to university education, largely based on physical

attendance of lectures and classes, and a number of alternative weightless

educational models, based on distance learning, are being introduced (Stanca,

2014).

In the past decade, a number of studies have examined the relationship

between students' attendance (or absenteeism) and academic performance,

generally finding that attendance does matter for academic achievement (e.g.

Durden and Ellis (1995), Devadoss and Foltz (1996), Chan et al. (1997), Marburger

(2001), Rodgers (2001), Bratti and Staolani (2002), Dolton et al. (2003), Kirby and

McElroy (2003)). This kind of evidence has led some authors to call for measures to

increase student attendance and even to consider the possibility of making

attendance mandatory in some undergraduate courses.

The main problem in assessing the effects of attendance on academic

performance is that attendance levels are not exogenous, given that Internal

controls is the whole system of controls financial and otherwise established by

management in order to carry on business of an organization in an orderly manner

to ensure adherence to management policies, safeguard the assets and secure as

possible the completeness and accuracy of records (Ramaswany, 1994).

Research has revealed significant relationships between attendance and

grades which concluded that initial attendance is a lair predictor of future academic

performance. The total amount of time that students report studying has often been

examined as a potential predictor of success in school. It might seem that the more

time that students spend studying, the better grades they should receive (Plant,

Ericsson, Hill and Asberg, 2005).

In the context of Somalia, the students attendance and academic

performance seem to be more important points in educational institutions for

students evaluation. Thus, this study had investigated the relationship between

students attendance and the academic performance of Somali higher education

students.

In this research, attendance is the amount of time that students participate in

class activities, and is measured hours per day, days per week, sessions per month

and percentage of time. Academic performance is measured as students exam

performance, students GPA and class discussions of the student. The main purpose

of this study was to describe the variables and then explain the relationship

between the two variables, student attendance and academic performance.

4. Other Relations

In a widely cited study, Romer (1993) reported evidence on absenteeism in

undergraduate economics courses at three major US universities, finding an

average attendance rate of about 67%. The paper also presented regression results,

based on a sample of 195 Intermediate Macroeconomics students, indicating a

positive and significant relationship between students attendance and exam

performance. This result was found to be qualitatively robust to the inclusion among

the explanatory variables of students' grade point average and the fraction of

problem sets completed 0.3 On the basis of these findings, Romer suggested that

measures aimed at increasing attendance, including making attendance mandatory,

could be considered.

Class attendance is very crucial for a better performance in a verbal based

subject like Social Studies, It has further shown that gender factor is also crucial in

analyzing class attendance problem and eventual student achievement in Social

Studies. Academic freedom in tertiary educational institutions provides students

with opportunities to absent themselves from classes. The rates of absenteeism

defer from one institution to another and various.

One of the crucial factors for students learning achievement is attendance at

class (Ajiboye and Tella, n.d).

Rodgers (2001) found that attendance has a small but statistically significant

effect on performance in a sample of 167 introductory statistics course. Kirby and

McElroy (2003) study the determinants of levels of attendance at lectures and

classes and the relationship with exam performance in a sample of 368 first year

economics students, finding that hours worked and travel time are the main

determinants of class attendance, and that the late, in turn, has a positive and

diminishing marginal effect on grade. Among studies who reach less robust

conclusions about the positive effect of attendance on performance.

Sarah Moore, Claire Armstrong, and Jill Pearson (2008) the reasons associated

with lecture absenteeism among student groups could shed significant light on

student motivation levels and orientations in university settings.

Paying attention to the rationales for lecture absence provided by students

themselves could also help institutions to diagnose levels of student engagement

and respond in appropriate ways. This study demonstrates these assertions by

engaging in a critical analysis of the evidence linking lecture attendance and

academic performance, using a qualitative analysis of student accounts of their

absenteeism. It argues that innovative approaches to higher education would

benefit from the extension and development of this kind of inquiry.

 Lecture absenteeism among students in higher education: a valuable route to

understanding student motivation to what extent and which personality traits

predict academic performance was investigated in two longitudinal studies of two

British university samples. Academic performance was assessed throughout a three

years period and via multiple criteria such as exams and final-year project.

In addition several indicators of academic behaviour (e.g., absenteeism,

essay writing, tutors exam predictions) were also examined with regard to both

academic performance and personality traits. In sample 1 (N=70), the Big Five

personality factors ( Costa & McCrae, 1992)particularly Neuroticism and

Conscientiousnesswere found to predict overall final exam marks over and above

several academic predictors, accounting for more than 10% of unique variance in

overall exam marks. Results suggest that Neuroticism may impair academic

performance, while Conscientiousness may lead to higher academic achievement.

In sample 2 (N=75) the EPQ-R ( Eysenck & Eysenck, 1985) was used as the

personality measure and results showed the three superfactors were the most

powerful predictor of academic performance, accounting for nearly 17% of unique

variance in overall exam results.

It is demonstrated that (like Neuroctisim) Psychoticism could limit academic

success. The present results provide evidence supporting the inclusion of well-

established personality measures in academic selection procedures, and run

counter to the traditional view of ability measures as the exclusive psychometric

correlate of academic performance.

Conclusion
 A students consistently participating and attending the class is a key factor

in his/her academic success. Academic performance is measured as students exam

performance, students GPA and class discussions of the student. With low level of

absenteeism (lesser absences), the negative effects on his/her academic

performance is lowered too. On the other hand, having high level of absenteeism

(frequently absent), the negative effects on his/her academic performance becomes

higher. Yet, it must be considered that here are factors including to the differences

in academic ability, quiz performance, and students gender that can lead to

absenteeism.

Overall, absenteeism is a big problem to students as well as to the teachers

because it disturbs the teaching-learning environment. It can greatly affect the

students academic performance such as in grades results, examination scores,

difficulty in learning. By being absent from the class, the student misses relevant

information that is needed for him/her to understand and by this, it makes a simple

discussion a complicated one. Thus, in a simple manner, absenteeism in a student

may result to complicated problems if not prevented or stopped.

References:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656602005780

Kamla-Raj (2011) J Soc Sci, 26(2): 89-97 (2011) Causes and Structural Effects of
Student Absenteeism: A Case Study of Three South African Universities

ISSN-L: 2223-9553, ISSN: 2223-9944 Vol. 4 No. 6 November 2013 Academic

Research International

http://www.journals.savap.org.pk
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13600800701457848

http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?
articleid=1082448

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3200/JECE.37.3.
251-266

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220679809597575

https://scholar.google.com.ph/scholar?
cluster=6028821804788965044&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.4030160107/full

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220480109595176