Reasons of Absenteeism among Undergraduate Medical Students: A Review

Abstract

REVIEW ARTICLEnew problem. 3 Number of causative factors has been suggested. 4 With the revolution in the electronic equipment 5 there are varieties of computer based softwares to assist in making the lectures more presentable, interesting and interactive, thus making the traditional teaching effective. 6 Despite this development low attendance at lectures is still an issue. Absenteeism at higher education level affects the learning process of the students as well as the final result at the end of academic session. 7,8 Several studies identify internal and external factors associated with academic performance. Class absenteeism is one of the factor that has negative effect on the mastery of the academic curriculum. One of the most useful work done by Kelland et al 8 reported that a decrease in the examination result IntroductionOne of the most vital considerations among students in higher educational level is academic performance though there are some differences in performance among the students. 1 The goal of undergraduate medical education is to produce a physician with adequate knowledge of health and diseases, reasonable medical skills and a healthy attitude towards patients and their families. 2 Student attendance is thought to be an important factor in the academic performance of medical students on the basis that clinical contact and teaching are necessary to develop competence. Lectures remain one of the important modes of teaching in many medical colleges despite adaptation of new curriculum. It is easy to deliver knowledge through lecture to a large number of students and logistically saving resources. Low attendance in lectures is not a Absenteeism refers to the frequent absence from classes without any good reason. In spite of compulsory attendance rule, individual students, parents, institute and society suffer when students do not attend classes in medical college on regular basis. Student absenteeism is a concern in higher education especially medical education. Student's absenteeism results in inadequate learning and poor academic performance. Despite the strict rules, absenteeism is an on-going problem in many universities and a phenomenon that is also on the rise in universities worldwide. There is extensive literature on the link between absenteeism and lack of subject matter interest, poor teaching strategies, unfavorable learning environment,excessive socialization among students, part-time jobs, ill health, sleeplessness and poor relations with lecturers. In addition, accessibility of lecture content in the form of online slides, videos and audios has their own contribution to absenteeism. Early detection and prevention might prevent unwanted consequences of absenteeism on medical students' academic performance.Medical colleges should pay more attention and take immediate measures on those who starting to absent from classes because they might need support from them. Reasons of Absenteeism among Undergraduate Medical Students: A ReviewKey Wards: Absenteeism, medical students ABSTRACT AKMMC...

Pharmacology and therapeutics resource session attendance and academic performance of pre-clerkship medical students in problem-based learning curricula

“…Classroom absenteeism is influenced by student, teaching, and class/college environment-related factors [26–28]. Among the most frequent factors cited for absenteeism is a lack of interest in the topic discussed [27, 29], self-study preferences [30], inconvenient class schedules such as early morning lectures [14, 27, 30], dislike of teaching style [26, 27], online availability of lecture material [27], and classroom environment [27, 28].…”

“…Approximately 95% of students had full scholarship support from their countries. A lack of intrinsic motivation may be possible; some students may not realize that the study of medicine is rigorous and challenging [14, 27]. Absenteeism, therefore, can be one of the convenient ways to evade the curriculum [31].…”

Factors influencing high absenteeism rate of student nurses in clinical areas at a nursing college in the Lejweleputswa District

“…Absenteeism is an increasing problem and a massive concern in higher education (Olufunmilayo 2017:64; Qutub et al 2017:1249). Absenteeism inhibits students to attain appropriate information and contact with relevant materials (clinical skills, lectures, practical session) that are required for effective learning to occur (Sharmin et al 2016:61). Absenteeism is also associated with poor academic performance, unprofessional conduct and inadequate socialisation within the profession (Dashputra et al 2015:24).…”

Absenteeism among Saudi Medical Students

“…Student absenteeism refers to the frequent absence from classes without any good reason and thought to be the primary concern in health profession education worldwide mainly in medical school (1) . Absenteeism behavior may negatively affect the general educational process and personal academic achievement of students.…”

“…1), shows that for every decrease in student's absences percentage, GPA is increased by 1.108 degrees. This relationship is confirmed by Pearson correlation calculation and obtained a p-value of 0.023 and coefficient of -0.190.…”