MANDATORY ATTENDANCE POLICY AND STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF AN ONLINE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

Abstract

Students’ attendance is easy to be tracked and monitored in the face-to-face classroom. The relationship between mandatory attendance policy and students’ academic achievement in online classrooms is less known. The rise of online learning during the COVID-19 calls for a re-examination of the mandatory attendance policy on students’ academic performance. This aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship of attendance on academic performance for a group of students in an online English course. The data was gathered from 32 students enrolled at higher learning institution in Oman. The investigation included document analysis of the students’ attendance record and their grades. It also sought the perspectives of the students on their competency in the English language. The findings revealed that the students’ attendance in a synchronous virtual classroom did not influence their academic performance. The findings also uncovered that for an English language course, the students perceived their participation in asynchronous activities more significant than their attendance. The study is significant as it suggests a re-examination of the mandatory attendance policy. The study also suggests that policy that pertains directly to the online environment is necessary to prepare the students for independent and life-long learning.