Spotlight on SOTL: The Present of Student Presence: University teachers’ perspectives and identities tied to student attendance

This article is based on the following research article:

Detoni, M., Allan, A., Connelly, S., Summerfield, T., Townsend, S., & Shephard, K. (2025). University teachers’ perspectives on student attendance: a challenge to the identity of university teachers before, during and after Covid-19. Educational research for policy and practice, 24(1), 41-59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-024-09375-6

This research explores declining student attendance and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through analyzing patterns in interview data from 11 university instructors in a New Zealand university, the authors stress that student attendance is an institutional level issue that is causing “crises of confidence”, a loss of belief in their own abilities, for teachers.

What did the researchers do and find?

Through 11 semi-structured interviews with university teachers at a University in New Zealand, this qualitative study by Detoni et al. (2025) explored perspectives on teaching and learning during COVID-19. Through an inductive thematic analysis of the interview data, researchers found that during the pandemic, educators experienced a collective anxiety around dwindling student attendance. They identified three reoccurring themes: (1) uncertainty about links between teaching inputs and student outcomes, (2) feeling personally responsible, without adequate institutional support, and (3) concern about autonomy and control over teaching conditions.

The university teachers expressed stress, diminished confidence, and isolation, both perceiving attendance declines as within their responsibilities and outside of their control. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified these tensions, exposing long-standing issues in higher education such as the undervaluation of teaching, lack of collegial support, and contested professional identity. The researchers also argue that these challenges highlight longstanding institutional limitations caused by treating university teaching as a secondary to research endeavours, leaving structural weaknesses in university approaches to teaching and learning. These issues were only further exacerbated by the structural changes during COVID-19. They suggest that formal university recognition of teaching as a professional endeavour would help teachers overcome personal responsibility for systemic issues, such as declining attendance.

How might you use this research in your teaching?

This research shows that declining attendance is not simply a personal failure but part of broader changes in higher education. Instructors should recognize that feelings of discouragement are widely shared and not a reflection of individual inadequacy. For teachers struggling with uncertainty, seeking out professional learning communities can help reduce isolation, build collegial support, and strengthen confidence in teaching roles.

In this, professional development for university teachers should address more than technical skills. While these skills are important, the real challenge lies in being able to:

• Implement constructive alignment, which means creating learning experiences that engage students and align with outcomes and assessments
• Facilitate identity formation, which involves understanding and embracing the evolving role of university educators. Teaching at the university level will require adapting to hybrid learning environments and diverse student behaviours while maintaining core teaching values.

Finally, the article reminds teachers to avoid using attendance as a measure of teaching quality. Instead, focus on strategies that promote engagement and learning, such as flexible attendance policies, active learning approaches, and clear communication about the benefits of participation. By reframing teaching as collaborative and adaptive, educators can regain a sense of autonomy and purpose in a changing educational landscape.