Factors Influencing Student's Non-Attendance in HigherEducation : A Behavioral Perspective

Student non-attendance is a multifaceted concern in higher education because it may limit learningopportunities, weaken academic engagement, and reduce students’ sense of belonging. From a behavioralperspective, attendance is shaped not only by personal motivation but also by perceived value, habits,self-regulation, social influence, teaching practices, institutional conditions, and practical barriers. This paperdevelops a behavioral framework to examine factors associated with students’ non-attendance in higher education. It proposes a cross-sectional, mixed-method study using a structured student questionnaire and asmall number of semi-structured interviews. The proposed sample consists of approximately 300undergraduate students selected through stratified sampling across year of study and programme, subject toinstitutional permission and feasibility. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and multipleregression are proposed for quantitative analysis, while thematic analysis will be used for interviewresponses. As primary data have not yet been collected, no empirical findings are claimed. The expectedoutcome is that attendance will be associated with an interaction of individual, academic, social, andinstitutional factors rather than a single cause. The study is expected to inform supportive attendancestrategies that strengthen engagement and address barriers without relying solely on punitive measures.