The impact of student attendance on assessment specific performance in sport degree programs

This study aimed to assess the relationship between attendance and module assessment performance across three Sport degree programs. Undergraduate students (n = 256) from three level 4 sport degrees (Sport Therapy (ST): 83; Sport and Exercise Sciences (SES): 80; Sports Development and Management and Coaching (SDMC): 93) participated in this 12-week prospective study. The assessments consisted of a practical for ST, exams and laboratory reports for SES, and presentations and essays for SDMC. A significant correlation was identified for attendance and overall performance across all degrees, although this was weak (rs = 0.327, p < 0.001). These findings suggest nonetheless that attendance positively correlates with assessment performance. All assessment types significantly and positively correlated with assessment performance. The study also reports that regardless of assessment type, attendance over a threshold of over 75% led to significantly higher assessment performance compared to those that did not..