Attendance factors within Irish further education: Individual and Learning Environment Factors Influencing Attendance Decisions within an Irish College of Further Education

Abberton, Karen (2019) Attendance factors within Irish further education: Individual and Learning Environment Factors Influencing Attendance Decisions within an Irish College of Further Education. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Many educational institutions today are concerned with rising levels of learner absenteeism. Research has shown that increased absenteeism can negatively impact on learning for those absent whilst simultaneously proving disruptive to those present. Research into attendance in an Irish context is limited and within the further education sector is scant. This research aims to explore a number of factors relevant to topic of absenteeism and asks ‘What are the individual and learning environment factors that influence learner attendance decisions within an Irish college of Further Education?’ The review of literature assisted in identifying potentially significant factors that were investigated through the use of a survey questionnaire completed by respondents selected using convenience sampling within an Irish college of Further Education. The resultant data was subjected to statistical methods to identify a range of factors influencing learner attendance. Individual factors found to influence attendance decisions include age, first language, place of residence, commute time and work status. Learning environment factors found to influence learner attendance decisions include assignment pressures, the quality of learner-teacher relationships, the nature of the course being undertaken and the availability of a virtual learning environment. Further education colleges are already engaging in practices designed to improve learner attendance and these need to be reinforced, for example, integration of assessments to reduce assignment pressure. However, there are further actions that colleges could take that may impact positively on learner attendance decisions, for example improved pre-entry information for learners and improved policies to address the issue of late assignments.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	L Education > LC Special aspects / Types of education > LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management > Absence Management
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Learning and Teaching
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2019 11:26
Last Modified:	11 Oct 2019 11:26
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/3839

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