Abstract

Background: High attendance is an essential requirement in professional courses such as medicine for good understanding and thorough grasp over the subjects. It is a common perception that missing classes frequently results in poor academic performances.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to find out the effect of class attendance on student’s academic performance in our setting among 1st year medical students in the subject of physiology.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Government Medical College Srinagar from October 2018 to December 2018. 146 1st-year M.B.B.S. students who had attended physiology theory lectures and practical classes and appeared in the final exams in batch 2016–2017 were selected for this study. Records of attendance and academic performance were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation analysis.

Results: Results revealed a positive and significant correlation between class attendance and academic performance in both theory and practical. The relationship between performance in practical and attendance was highly significant which shows that attending practical classes is essential for acquiring skills.

Conclusion: This study has found a positive relationship between class attendance and academic performance of the students both in theory and practicals in the subject of physiology suggesting that high attendance is crucial for learning in medicine.

Key words: Attendance; Academic Performance; Medical Students; Physiology