Background: Student absenteeism is an acknowledged problem in many universities. The present study aims to evaluate the opinions of students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) regarding the effect of class attendance on academic achievement, professors’ motivation, and student professionalism.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical sciences students of MUMS (nursing and midwifery, pharmacy, and health sciences students, n=101) who participated in a two-day entrepreneurship workshop. The available sampling method was used. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire containing ten items on the effects of student attendance in classrooms on the academic achievement and professionalism of students and faculty members’ motivation. Demographic questions on a five-point Likert scale were used. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0.
Results: A total of 101 students from three faculties of MUMS (nursing and midwifery (39.6%), health sciences (36.6%), and pharmacy (23.8%)) participated. The lowest agreement was related to components of class attendance as a criterion of student professionalism (3.6+ 0.946), the effect of class attendance on academic achievement (3.53+1.32), and the effect of class attendance on faculty members’ motivation (3.50+ 0.970), respectively. There was a statistically significant relationship between the field of study and the students’ opinions about the components of professionalism criteria and professors’ motivation (p<0.05). The results of the Chi-square test showed a statistically significant relationship between the educational level and the students’ academic achievement component (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Students had the lowest agreement with the items of class attendance as a criterion of student professionalism, class attendance on academic achievement, and the effect of class attendance on faculty members’ motivation, respectively.