Factors Affecting Class Absenteeism: Perspective of Medical Students and Faculty Members at Tehran University of Medical Sciences

One of the challenges of medical education is students’ absence from the classrooms. This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting class absenteeism from the viewpoint of faculty members and students, and to compare their views on the effect of class attendance on students’ achievement, faculty members’ motivation and class attendance as a criterion of professionalism. This mixed method study was conducted in 2015-2017 at the faculty of medicine of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Participants were students and faculty members of basic sciences of the faculty of medicine at the time of the study. Purposive sampling and convenience sampling were used for developing the instrument and for analyzing the views respectively. Two valid and reliable researcher-made instruments were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-test. From the viewpoint of faculty members and students, the most important factor affecting student attendance was faculty members’ scientific expertise, their mastery of the content and power of expression. There was a statistically significant difference between the views of students and faculty members (T = -2.34, P = 0.02) in the effect of class attendance on academic achievement. The faculty members believed that class attendance was a criterion of student professionalism, while students were less likely to agree with this criterion (T = -6.21, P = 0.001). The most important factor affecting student attendance was faculty members’ expertise, their mastery of the content and power of expression. It seems that in order to increase student attendance, further attention should be paid to how faculty members are recruited and to their empowerment in the field of education.