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Attendance in a First-year Educational Support Program and Academic Performance Among Allied Health Students in
Rei Ishihara1, Yuki Murakami1, Yusuke Ono1
1Department of Medical Technology and Clinical Engineering, Gunma University of Health and Welfare, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
Purpose:
This study examined the association between attendance in a first-year educational support program and academic performance among students in allied health education.
Patients And Methods:
This retrospective observational study was conducted at a single university and included 67 first-year students enrolled in clinical laboratory technology and clinical engineering programs during the first semester of 2025. Attendance was recorded across 11 sessions of the Introduction to Self-Learning Management program. The program was conceptually informed by self-regulated learning theory and included goal setting, individual learning activities, self-reflection, and instructor feedback. Academic performance was assessed using grade point average (GPA) at the end of the semester. Attendance was analyzed using multiple linear regression and independent-samples t-tests. In multiple linear regression analysis, attendance, academic foundation test score, and mathematics placement test score were included as explanatory variables.
Results:
Multiple linear regression showed that attendance remained significantly associated with GPA after adjustment for baseline academic performance variables (β = 0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.34, P = 0.005), whereas academic foundation test score and mathematics placement test score were not significantly associated with GPA. For descriptive comparison, students with one or fewer absences showed a significantly higher mean GPA than those with two or more absences (mean difference 0.89, 95% CI 0.43-1.34, P = 0.0007, Cohen's d = 1.02).
Conclusion:
Attendance was positively associated with GPA in this sample. Because of the retrospective observational design and absence of direct self-regulated learning measures, causal interpretation is limited. Prospective studies with controlled designs are needed to determine whether attendance can serve as an indicator for identifying students requiring additional educational support.
