Proceedings: Final Year Project & Postgraduate (FYPP) Conference, 2019

MNNF Publisher (ISBN number: 978-967-17324-1-0)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Case Study on Absenteeism and Academic

Performance at University Level
Nur Izzah Jamil, Alia Nadira Rosle, Farrah Nadia Baharuddin & Aini Hayati Musa

Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan Branch

ABSTRACT

Absenteeism can be a crucial problem in education system covering early childhood education, primary
education, secondary education and tertiary education. However, the flexibility in tertiary academic
provides students with opportunities for absenteeism. One of the important factors for students‘
academic performance is a class attendance. Recent studies revealed that the class attendance lead
to academic success. The scope of the study was narrowed down by assessing students‘ academic
performance based on their assessment score. Instead of analyzing students‘ final examination score,
this serves as an early measure for the lecturers to take necessary actions. The data used for this
study is a primary data. The academic score and attendance data was extracted from the educator
who handled the course. This study aimed for the correlation between assessment and absenteeism. A
case study result shows that there is a statistically significant correlation between assessment and
absenteeism.

Key Words: Absenteeism, Correlation analysis

1. INTRODUCTION

Absenteeism can be a crucial problem in the education system covering early childhood education,
primary education, secondary education and tertiary education. However, the flexibility in tertiary
academic provides students with opportunities for absenteeism. As mentioned by (Ahmad, Ul-Saufie,
Mohamed, Ahmat, & Zahari, 2018) absenteeism is a habit of failing to present frequently in a program or
an event without reasonable excuse and absentee is used to describe somebody who is not there to do a
particular task in person. One of the important factors for students‘ academic performance is class
attendance. Kassarnig V et al (2017), revealed that class attendance leads to academic success. A
minimum requirement of 80% attendance was enforced as a prerequisite for sitting the final examination,
UiTM.
Students who are frequently skip the schools, colleges and universities and failed to attend the
classes are called absent. The habitual act of students is referred to as absenteeism. There are several
important goals in fulfill regular attendance in the schools, colleges as well as universities. The regular
attendance will enhance academic performance by submitting an assignment on time, increase the test
result of the students, increase the confidence of the students, improve their GPA and CGPA, increase
their understanding in learning as well as improve the relationship with teachers and peers (Khalid &
Mehmood, 2017).
The scopes of the study were narrowed down by assessing students‘ academic performance
based on their assessment score. Instead of analyzing students‘ final examination score, this serves as
an early measure for the lecturers to take necessary action earlier. The main literature topics on
students‘ absenteeism could be divided into two main aspects, namely, the reasons for students‘
absenteeism (Devadoss & Foltz, 1996; Chong et al., 2009) and the impact of students‘ absenteeism
towards their academic performance (Schmidt, 1983; Romer, 1993; Caviglia-Harris, 2006; Chen & Lin,
2008; Schmulian & Coetzee, 2011).

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Proceedings: Final Year Project & Postgraduate (FYPP) Conference, 2019
MNNF Publisher (ISBN number: 978-967-17324-1-0)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Many previous studies have proven that successful students in their academics‘ performance were
based on their attendance to any classes and lectures. The studies had shown that the positive influence
of class attendance on students‘ performance. According to Devadoss and Foltz (1996), students who
attended all classes was a score on average a 0.54 higher grade than a student who only attended half
of the classes. A similar result was obtained by Chen and Lin (2008), mentioned that students who
attend classes scored to a 7.7% improvement in exam performance. Students who always had missed
class on a specific day was 7.5% to 14.6% more likely to respond incorrectly during the test as compared
to students who regularly attend classes (Marburger, 2001)
Furthermore, research was done at Simad University in Mogadishu, Somalia by (Ahmed,2013)
revealed that a significant moderate positive relationship between student‘s attendance and academic
performance whereby the results indicated that one level increase of courses attendances lead to higher
academic performance by 0.716. Additionally, Anna (2016) also found that exam point has a positive
correlation with attendance in the university. Despite that, there are some of the students still continue
with their absenteeism in attending classes due to unreasonable reasons or excuses such as engaging
in various forms merrymaking and sleeping late (S. Moore, C. Armstorng and J. Pearson, 2008).

2. METHODOLOGY

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between absenteeism and academic
performance at University level. Furthermore, this study give a sight on how to perform correlation
analysis for both quantitative and qualitative variable. The academic score and attendance data was
extracted from the educator who handled the course. The data obtained were analysed using Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.

Table 1 Variable used in study

Variable Type of variable Role
Qualitative
Gender o Male Independent variable
o Female

Assessment (marks) Quantitative Independent variable

Qualitative
Assessment (status) o Passed Independent variable
o Failed

No of absent (days) Quantitative Independent variable

Qualitative
o Less than 20%
Absenteeism rate Independent variable
o Exceed 20 %
o Exceed 30%

Statistical analysis used involved descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean
analysis and correlation analysis such as Pearson product moment coefficient (r) or Spearman‘s Rank
Coefficient (p), and Chi Square test. As for quantitative data, the normality test was performed to check
the normality of the data such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov (sample size more than 2000) or Shapiro-Wilk
(sample size less than 2000)

Table 2 Correlation analysis

Pearson product moment
Spearman‘s Rank Coefficient (p) Chi Square
coefficient (r)

Purpose : To see the linear Purpose : To see the linear Purpose : To see the linear
relationship between two relationship between two relationship between two
quantitative variables quantitative variables categorical variables

Requirement : Both variables are Type : Non Parametric Type : Non Parametric
quantitative variables and normally
distributed

Type : Parametric
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Proceedings: Final Year Project & Postgraduate (FYPP) Conference, 2019
MNNF Publisher (ISBN number: 978-967-17324-1-0)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

3.1 Descriptive Analysis

Table 3 represents the descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) of students demographic
information. This study indicates that 21 (25.6%) male and 61 (74.4%) female students. Most of the
students were identified as passed in their assessment 67 (81.7%) with most of the students performed
well in their class attendance 69 (84.1%) which is less than 20% absenteeism.

Table 3 Descriptive statistics (Frequency and Percentage) of students demographic

Variable Category Frequency Percentage (%)
Gender Male 21 25.6
Female 61 74.4
Assessment grade Passed 67 81.7
Failed 15 18.3
Absenteeism rate Less than 20% 69 84.1
Exceed 20% 5 6.1
Exceed 30% 8 9.8

Table 4 shows the average of assessment marks, 19.99 marks, median indicates 50% of students
scored more than 21.375 marks, minimum and maximum marks 5.81 and 30 marks respectively with
standard deviation of 5.66. The distribution is slightly skewed to the left (skewness=-0.886) indicates
most of the students scored the assessment.
Point out in table 4 also shows the mean number of absent is 1 day, median indicates 50% of
students never skip the classes and standard deviation of 1.77. The distribution is skewed to the right
(skewness=1.766) indicates most of the students performed well in their class attendance.

Table 4 Descriptive statistics (Central Tendency and Dispersion)

Assessment marks No. of absent
Statistics
(30%) (days)
Mean 19.9899 0.99
Median 21.3750 0.00
Minimum 5.81 0
Maximum 30.00 6
Std. Deviation 5.65574 1.767
Skewness -.886 1.766

3.2 Correlation Analysis (Quantitative Variable)

This study perfomed Shapiro-Wilk test instead of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test considering 82 elements
used. The distribution of the assessment marks, SW=0.923, p-value=0.000 < 0.05 is significantly not
normal The distribution of the number of absent (days), SW=0.615, p-value=0.000 < 0.05 is significantly
not normal. Thus, proceed for correlation analysis (non parametric test); Spearman‘s Rank Coefficient
(p).

Table 5 Test of Normality

Kolmogorov-Smirnov Shapiro-Wilk
Degree of p- Degree of p-
Statistic Statistic
freedom value freedom value
Assessment marks 0.140 82 0.00 0.923 82 0.000
Number of absent
0.370 82 0.00 0.615 82 0.000
(days)

Table 6 shows there is statistically significant negative linear correlation between assessment
marks and number of absent (days), rho= –0.469, p-value=0.000 < 0.01. Result supported that students
whom skipped classes are most likely to score lower assessment marks.

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Proceedings: Final Year Project & Postgraduate (FYPP) Conference, 2019
MNNF Publisher (ISBN number: 978-967-17324-1-0)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Table 6 Correlation analysis - Spearman‘s Rank Coefficient (p).

Number of absent
Assesment marks
(days)
Assesment marks Coefficient 1 -0.469**
P-value 0.000
Number of absent (days) Coefficient -0.469** 1
P-value 0.000

3.3 Correlation Analysis (Qualitative/Categorical Variable)

Below shows the crosstabulation table between assessment grade and absenteeism rate. As showed in
Table 6, result in Table 7 revealed that students whom skipped classes exceed 20% (n=5) and exceed
30% (n=8) are most likely to score lower assessment marks.

Table 7 Crosstabulation table

Absenteeism rate
Total
Less than 20% Exceed 20% Exceed30%
Passed 67 0 0 67
Assessment grade
Failed 2 5 8 15
Total 69 5 8 82

Based on Chi – Square tests, there is statistically significant association between assessment
grade and absenteeism rate (Chi-square=69.007, p-value=0.000 < 0.05)

Table 8 Chi – Square tests

Value Degree of freedom P-value

Pearson Chi-Square 69.007 2 0.000

4. CONCLUSION

Teaching and learning are many classes experience a high degree of absenteeism. The connection
between class attendance on student learning has received considerable attention from educaters. A
case study results revealed that there is a statistically significant association between assessment and
absenteeism. It a clearly state a relationship between class attendance and course grades has been
supported from the previous study.
Student attendance is critical to educational success and this issue increase the focus of
educators for better equipped and understanding their student‘s learning process. This study serves an
early measure for the educators to take necessary actions by analyze the association between these two factors. So
that, educators can reduce absenteeism by identifying their student‘s problem and create effective learning
environment. Below shows the research objectives, methodology used in tis study and overall conclusions for this
study.

Table 9 Research objectives, Methodology and Conclusions

Research objectives Methodology Conclusion

To identify the relationship between Correlation analysis There is statistically significant

assessment score and number of negative linear correlation between
absent (days) Spearman‘s Rank Coefficient (p) – assessment marks and number of
Non Parametric test absent (days), rho= –0.469, p-
value=0.000 < 0.01

(As number of absent increase, the

To identify an association between
assessment grade and
absenteeism rate
Correlation analysis
– Chi Square test
assessment marks will decrease
and vice versa)
There is statistically significant
association between assessment
grade and absenteeism rate (Chi-
square=69.007, p-value=0.000 <
0.05)

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Proceedings: Final Year Project & Postgraduate (FYPP) Conference, 2019
MNNF Publisher (ISBN number: 978-967-17324-1-0)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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