Gender Differences in Academic Grades versus Absenteeism for Medical Sciences Students
Abstract Background: Learning environment and academic performance can be investigated from various aspects. Numerous interfering factors make this issue a complex one. The aim of this study is to understand the role of absenteeism on the overall score of medical sciences students and to consider the difference between male and female students.Methods: Academic performance was evaluated using the overall grades. Assessments of students and absence rate were tracked in two consecutive semesters (January–April 2019 and September–December of the same year), followed by sequential alignment to evaluate and correlate males (n=43) and females (n=72) results. During the semester, all teaching and assessment methods were unified to both sections to mitigate any confounding results from the teaching method to either section. Academic activities were assessed automatically and subjectively. SEKONIC SR-3500 HYBRID Machine was used to correct and analyze the answers of multiple-choice questions of the Midterm and final examination. Objective marks were compiled with the scores of the subjective answers to generate the final academic degree. These overall marks were correlated and statistically analyzed with the absence rates.Results: Preliminary data of the mean scores between male and female students during three semesters were statistically significant (**** p<0.0001). To correlate marks with absenteeism, the correlation coefficient (r) was in a negative value which indicates an inverse correlation between X (absence rate) and Y data (scores). But, a statistically significant correlation was found in the male section (**p= 0.0011 for the first semester; *p= 0.0255 for the second semester) but no significance was observed with the female scores (p= 0.2041; p=0.1537).Conclusions: The results show that female marks are not solely dependent on class attendance but probably other factors were involved such as self-learning, motivation and group discussion. The female mean scores were significantly higher in five semesters in a row compared to male students. Male overall scores prove to be conditioned with the instructor explanation. The finding indicates a gender variation in the academic performance measured by overall grades taking absenteeism rate into account.