Policy and preference: the intersection of attendance hurdles and student perceptions of practical classes
The advantages of participating in practical classes to develop essential clinical skills are evident to students, and likely motivate them to attend most scheduled classes. Numerous factors can lead to student absences, and mandating attendance may disadvantage some students. Alternatives to attendance policies could include offering scheduling flexibility and student sign-up, accommodating students' personal and health needs, and aligning classes to student values.
Authors
- Elaina Kefalianos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3901-2351)
- Jessica Stander (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1686-3882)
- Travis Haber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5487-0851)
- Bronwyn Tarrant
- Sue Finch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4261-0504)
- Tamara Clements
- Nicole R. Hill
- Lauren Story (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0419-0158)
- Samantha Byrne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0217-2781)
- Debra Virtue (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4093-2163)
- Michiko Maruyama
- Lisa Cheshire (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3935-7608)
- Karen J. Donald (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0083-9474)
- Jessica Lees (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0026-9432)
- Anthea Cochrane (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8575-4351)
Institutions
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- La Trobe University (AU)
- Australian College of Optometry (AU)
- Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne (AU)
- Melbourne Health (AU)
- Victoria University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Medical Education
- Published
- 2025-10-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07909-x
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Innovations in Educational Methods
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.93