Term Paper on "Determinants of Student Absence From Lectures"

Term Paper 6 pages (2043 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Determinants of Student Absence From Lectures

With the attendance of colleges and universities on the rise across the world and the price of each session increasingly shifting up, it is critical to modern society to construct an analysis of the behaviors of college and university culture, particularly as it pertains to class attendance. Since more students are grappling in high-competition enrollment processes, schools are constructing upper and high school curricula towards the foundations required by higher education and advanced degree programs, and schools are continually expanding their physical plant, it is important to acknowledge the common trend of skipping classes and the reasoning behind the act of doing it.

Rational

Because of the importance, expense, and vast populations enrolled in universities, it is a critical social issue to analyze why students might choose to be absent from lectures while there.

A careful analysis of student choice will reveal the social pressures, tight schedules, and academic flux that influences the student's absence from classroom lectures. In examining these issues, the academic community will be able to learn from the issues affecting students, or the non-issues to which students give in on the basis of poor decision making, that not only undermine the teacher's presence and structure of standard academia, but also deconstruct the student's ability to make the most of the academic experience.

While there is popularized degree of "coolness" attributed to skipping class in the greater culture, emblematic in recent literature like I Am Charlotte Simons and movies like Road Trip and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the rising prices of education would seemingly discourage students from the fantasized skipping-class fad. Popular culture suggests that if a student is able to skip class and not get caught by the teacher, he attains a new social status level, as one who has outwitted the fox. Likewise, if a student can miss lectures and maintain high scores in the class, he can assume that his own intelligence is far greater than that demanded by the class. In both cases, there is a status elevation associated with class absence in certain circumstances.

If the student is not choosing to miss class for the sake of proving latent adolescent self-worth, then it is important to analyze the other reasons a student might miss class. Among them might be two self-defeating aspects of the modern University system; with classes so expensive, a student might be forced to save money by hurrying through three or four years of school work in less time, or a student might have a job outside of school to keep tuition paid and maintain enrollment. In both of these cases, the system is making life difficult on the student, who may be forced to miss a class because of a shifting work schedule he or she cannot change and may cause infrequent or even regular absences; likewise, if a student is taking on too much work to finish early, he or she may be so academically overwhelmed that skipping a class is the only way to turn in the work required by that course for grading.

Some students may, however, choose to miss class because they simply have not chosen to use their free time well to do their work, and are forced to miss a lecture in order to complete an assignment. Other students may miss still more classes for extra-curricular and personal purposes, like seeing friends or family, traveling, or shopping. Some students may report missing lectures merely because they are not stimulated while they are there. While none of them are esteemed options, many students miss lectures for just these reasons.

Objectives

The objective of this research is to determine the causes of student absence from lectures. In doing so, research will consist of interviews with students, teachers, teaching assistants, administrators, school counselors, and a series of surveys. The research is significant to the construction of a system that encourages lecture attendance instead of one in which students frequently miss the classes for which they pay, are signed up, and receiving credit.

Themes and Issues

An in-depth analysis of the determinants responsible for student absence from class is not only an exegetical review of the social collegiate atmosphere, but is also an important study on the psychology of the student. There is much caution that needs to be invoked in examining the issue, because psychologists frequently worry about the young adult in its first spring from home; for many students, there is an adjustment period in getting used to the college schedule, life away from parents, and self-structured direction. Additionally, the college lifestyle is replete with high stress, pressure to perform, poor diet, lack of sleep, and substance abuse. Recent research also supports that in their heightened frame of stress, first year students may be less able to make solid decisions than their peers with more experience.

For this reason, it makes sense to cut first-year students out of the analysis, so as to stabilize for their stress-specific demographic. Additionally, it is important to find a way to not only talk to students about their reasons for skipping, but to address them in a manner in which they are comfortable so they can be honest; if they feel that they have gotten away with missing a lecture but, by discussing it, may be punished after all, they may be less open about their results. Accordingly, all research must be done in a student-friendly atmosphere fostering a policy of open education and research, not one of condemnation. A tagline that makes the researches approachable, like, "everyone does it - how about you?" may better equip researchers with the study. By the same token, it is important to talk to teachers about the incidence of absences from their lectures. Some professors may take attendance regularly, and while their data may be easily obtained, they may be won't to present the accurate findings, as many absences might reflect upon them poorly as teachers. For this reason, to account for professional insecurity on their part, it would be responsible to send in researchers to large lectures, dress as students, on several occasions, to take note of the attendance records. It is important to hold these against the attendance policies of the school, which either may discourage or show lack of interest in students' attendance.

Existing Literature.

In addition to yours, there are several citations I have included throughout my work. They are below:

McGlynn, Angela Provitera. "College Benefits Differ by Gender, Race, and Class." The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Paramus, NJ, USA: Feb. 23, 2005. Vol. 15, Iss. 11.

Brogan, John. "School Culture." Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Il, USA: May 15, 2005.

There are several good academic journals that have a plethora of information on this, as well, mostly the Journal of Higher Education. (all issues play an important role in determining that atmosphere that fosters a missed lecture.)

Strategy, Design, and Methodology

The research will take place in two forms, one a series of interviews, the other a series of surveys.

Interviews will be conducted with and for the purpose of:

Students - gain first-hand, personal insight on why students might miss class. Interviewers will ask students about the frequency of missed lectures, the reasons behind them, if they intend to skip again, and what the outcome was of the missed lecture (were they behind, punished, confronted by teachers or classmates?)

Teachers - talk openly about how many of their students miss class, if it is certain students in particular, and how the teacher goes about dealing with the missed lectures, if the teacher thinks they are a problem. Does the teacher let the students who still perform well skip more often with less punishment?

Administrators - what is the school policy on class absences? Why is this policy created? Do they think students still skip classes? Why might they? What is the school doing to address those issues?

School-Affiliated Counselors - do students ever report skipping classes? Why? Do these students seem to need help academically or personally in ways the either resulted in the missed lecture or resulted from it?

Surveys will be conducted on and with the purpose of:

Students - incidence of missed classes in the last semester, type of class, previous knowledge of subject, previous experience with teacher, what repercussions (if any) the student dealt with as a result of the absence, gpa in that class, does student think it is okay to skip class, why or why not, did student ever choose to be absent from classes in high school, with frequence?

Teachers - number of students who have missed one class in last term, per course, number of those students who missed two, number of those students who missed three to five, number of those students who missed more than five, more than ten. What teacher does to students who miss class (confrontation, downgrade, etc.), what attributes teacher associates with students who miss class, how teacher thinks about reflection upon student and teacher because of… READ MORE

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