Impact of Synchronous Class Attendance on the Academic Performance of Second-Year BS Industrial Technology Students

Open and flexible learning has become the norm for schools and universities due to the pandemic, where students get lessons either through online classes or study modules. Acknowledging the difficulties in remote learning, many institutions allowed more flexibility by providing learners with increased choice and convenience to suit their learning conditions. One is making online class attendance less mandatory than during the pre-pandemic, wherein class attendance is strictly implemented. To a certain extent, this allowed students to study at their own time and pace and without sacrificing their work and home responsibilities. The study aims to determine the impact of attendance in online synchronous classes on the students' academic performance in one professional course at a state university in the Philippines. This study used a descriptive correlational method of research using quantitative analysis. The students' attendance in online classes was recorded, while their final grades served as the indicator of academic performance. Results of the study show that attendance in online classes positively impacts students' academic performance. Students who attend regularly synchronous online meetings tend to get a relatively higher final grade. The result showed a moderately positive relationship between these two factors using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Meanwhile, the availability of instructional support such as recorded lectures and supplementary materials prevented asynchronous students or those who cannot participate in online classes from failing the course. This study recommends that more active learning strategies and in-class group work be implemented to avoid non-essential absenteeism and promote and encourage lecture attendance.