Socio-Economic Factors Responsible for Absenteeism Among University Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan

Abstract

Students’ absenteeism is a persistent challenge in higher education that poses a serious threat to students’ academic engagement and institutional effectiveness.  In the developing world, absenteeism is strongly associated with socio-economic disparities that limit the students to participate in academic activities on a regular basis. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ absenteeism and socioeconomic factors in higher education institutions in District Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Pakistan. The quantitative research design was applied in the study with structured Likert scale questionnaire. A total of 374 respondents were selected by stratified random sampling technique from Bacha Khan University Charsadda and Government Postgraduate College Charsadda. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, whereas chi-square test was applied to determine the association between socioeconomic factors and student absenteeism. The results indicated a strong association between student’s absenteeism and several socioeconomic factors, such as financial stress, transportation challenges, distance, morbidity, food insecurity, housing instability, family financial pressures, work roles, and decreased academic motivation because of economic pressure. The findings concluded that effective plans to reduce absenteeism must address students’ socio-economic conditions. Higher education institutions should have implemented need-based financial support, transportation assistance, in-campus health and food programs, and comprehensive student welfare policies to promote regular attendance and educational equity.

Keywords: Student absenteeism, higher education, socioeconomic factors, financial hardships, educational inequality