Student identity and group teaching as factors shaping intention to attend a class

Class attendance in Higher Education is a persistent concern for tutors and programme managers. In this paper, the intentions of first year students in a Business School of a traditional English University are examined. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is employed to develop a conceptual framework that focuses upon student identity and group norms as contributors to the subjective norm for the attendance intention of students. Factor analysis is used to analyse questionnaire responses and to identify thematic clusters of issues which influence student intention to attend. The findings suggest students do derive a sense of professional identity by attending a class, which is desirable, but that the intention to attend is also shaped by the tutor's use of group teaching methods, the management of expectations of class attendance in general and that students' can maintain a view of professionalism in their discipline which does not necessarily equate with the need for physical attendance.