Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students

Khaled Shaaban; Ranya Reda

doi:10.29333/ejmste/9727

Full Text (PDF)

Khaled Shaaban ¹ ^* , Ranya Reda ²

More Detail

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Engineering, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah, USA
² Section Head of Learning Support, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha, QATAR
^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Students use different modes of transport to go to college. While many transportation programs exist at different universities and many experts find these programs to have a positive impact, no studies have investigated the impact of such programs on the absenteeism and academic performance of college students. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of a college provided transportation program on the absenteeism and performance of engineering students. Different types of data were collected from a sample of engineering students, including attendance records, grade point average (GPA), course grades, majors, and bus ridership information for two years. The findings suggest that there is a positive impact of providing a college transportation service to engineering students in the form of better attendance and higher GPA. The outcomes of this study can be used to evaluate similar programs in the future and can be used by public agencies and policymakers to make decisions on expanding investments in such programs.

Keywords

education
transportation service
public transportation
attendance
college students

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2021 - Volume 17 Issue 3, Article No: em1944

Publication date: 25 Feb 2021

Article Views: 445

Article Downloads: 182

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Al Attiyah, A., & Khalifa, B. (2009). Small steps lead to quality assurance and enhancement in Qatar University. Quality in Higher Education, 15(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538320902731609
Bacon, D. R., & Bean, B. (2006). GPA in research studies: An invaluable but neglected opportunity. Journal of Marketing Education, 28(1), 35-42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475305284638
Baker, M. L., Sigmon, J. N., & Nugent, M. E. (2001). Truancy Reduction: Keeping Students in School. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1037/e527782006-001
Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, V. (2012). The importance of being in school: A report on absenteeism in the nation’s public schools. The Education Digest, 78(2), 4.
Batley, R., Dargay, J., & Wardman, M. (2011). The impact of lateness and reliability on passenger rail demand. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 47(1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2010.07.004
Caldas, S. J. (1993). Reexamination of input and process factor effects on public school achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 86(4), 206-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1993.9941832
Daggett, J., & Gutkowski, R. (2003). University transportation survey: Transportation in university communities. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (1835), 42-49. https://doi.org/10.3141/1835-06
Dolton, P., Marcenaro, O. D., & Navarro, L. (2003). The effective use of student time: a stochastic frontier production function case study. Economics of Education Review, 22(6), 547-560. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7757(03)00027-X
Durden, G. C., & Ellis, L. V. (1995). The effects of attendance on student learning in principles of economics. The American Economic Review, 85(2), 343-346. https://doi.org/10.1080/758518985
Figueiredo, H., Biscaia, R., Rocha, V., & Teixeira, P. (2017). Should we start worrying? Mass higher education, skill demand and the increasingly complex landscape of young graduates’ employment. Studies in Higher Education, 42(8), 1401-1420. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1101754
Gase, L. N., Kuo, T., Teutsch, S., & Fielding, J. E. (2014). Estimating the costs and benefits of providing free public transit passes to students in Los Angeles County: Lessons learned in applying a health lens to decision-making. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(11), 11384-11397. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111111384
Hosmer Jr, D. W., & Lemeshow, S. (2004). Applied Logistic Regression. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/0470011815.b2a10030
Hosmer Jr, D. W., Lemeshow, S., & Sturdivant, R. X. (2013). Applied Logistic Regression. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118548387
Johnson, V. E. (2006). Grade Inflation: A Crisis in College Education. Springer Science & Business Media.
Kirby, A., & McElroy, B. (2003). The effect of attendance on grade for first year economics students in University College Cork. The Economic and Social Review, 34(3), 311-326.
Kobrin, J. L., Patterson, B. F., Shaw, E. J., Mattern, K. D., & Barbuti, S. M. (2008). Validity of the SAT® for Predicting First-Year College Grade Point Average. Research Report No. 2008-5. College Board.
Lamdin, D. J. (1996). Evidence of student attendance as an independent variable in education production functions. The Journal of Educational Research, 89((3), 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1996.9941321
Limanond, T., Butsingkorn, T., & Chermkhunthod, C. (2011). Travel behavior of university students who live on campus: A case study of a rural university in Asia. Transport Policy, 18(1), 163-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.07.006
Lomax, T., & Margiotta, R. (2003). Selecting Travel Reliability Measures. The Institute.
Lounsbury, J. W., Fisher, L. A., Levy, J. J., & Welsh, D. P. (2009). An investigation of character strengths in relation to the academic success of college students. Individual Differences Research, 7(1).
Marburger, D. R. (2001). Absenteeism and undergraduate exam performance. The Journal of Economic Education, 32(2), 99-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220480109595176
Matthews, D. B., & Hamby, J. V. (1995). A comparison of the learning styles of high school and college/university students. The Clearing House, 68(4), 257-261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.1995.9957245
Pascal, M., Corso, M., Chanel, O., Declercq, C., Cesaroni, G., Henschel, S., … Medina, S. (2013). Assessing the public health impacts of urban air pollution in 25 European cities: results of the Aphekom project. Science of the Total Environment, 449, 390-400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.077
Pinto, L. H., & Ramalheira, D. C. (2017). Perceived employability of business graduates: The effect of academic performance and extracurricular activities. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 99, 165-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.01.005
Plant, E. A., Ericsson, K. A., Hill, L., & Asberg, K. (2005). Why study time does not predict grade point average across college students: Implications of deliberate practice for academic performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 30(1), 96-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2004.06.001
Poropat, A. E. (2009). A meta-analysis of the five-factor model of personality and academic performance. Psychological Bulletin, 135(2), 322. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014996
Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(2), 353. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838
Roby, D. E. (2004). Research on school attendance and student achievement: A study of Ohio schools. Educational Research Quarterly, 28(1), 3.
Shaaban, K. (2017). Assessment of Drivers’ Perceptions of Various Police Enforcement Strategies and Associated Penalties and Rewards. Journal of Advanced Transportation, 14, Art no. 5169176. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5169176
Shaaban, K. (2019a). Assessing Sidewalk and Corridor Walkability in Developing Countries. Sustainability, 11(14), 3865. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143865
Shaaban, K. (2019b). Self-Report and Observational Assessment and Investigation of Seat Belt Use Among Young Drivers and Passengers: The Case of Qatar. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 44(5), 4441-4451. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-018-3436-3
Shaaban, K. (2020). Why Don’t People Ride Bicycles in High-Income Developing Countries, and Can Bike-Sharing Be the Solution? The Case of Qatar. Sustainability, 12(4), 1693. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041693
Shaaban, K., & Abdur-Rouf, K. (2020). Assessing Walking and Cycling around Schools. Sustainability, 12(24), 10607. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410607
Shaaban, K., & Hassan, H. (2014). Modeling significant factors affecting Commuters’ perspectives and propensity to use the new proposed metro service in Doha. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 41(12), 1054-1064. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2013-0595
Shaaban, K., & Hassan, H. M. (2017). Underage Driving and Seat Belts Use of High School Teenagers in Qatar. Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 9(S1), 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/19439962.2016.1212445
Shaaban, K., & Kim, I. (2016). Assessment of the taxi service in Doha. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 88, 223-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.04.011
Shaaban, K., & Maher, A. (2019). Using the theory of planned behavior to predict the use of an upcoming public transportation service in Qatar. Case Studies on Transport Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2019.11.001
Shaaban, K., Gaweesh, S., & Ahmed, M. (2018). Characteristics and Mitigation Strategies for Cell Phone Use While Driving Among Young Drivers in Qatar. Journal of Transport & Health, 8, 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2018.02.001
Shaaban, K., Gaweesh, S., & Ahmed, M. M. (2020). Investigating in-vehicle distracting activities and crash risks for young drivers using structural equation modeling. PLoS One, 15(7), e0235325. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235325
Silver, D., Saunders, M., & Zarate, E. (2008). What factors predict high school graduation in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Policy Brief, 14.
Strenze, T. (2007). Intelligence and socioeconomic success: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal research. Intelligence, 35(5), 401-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2006.09.004
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using Multivariate Statistics (5th Ed.). Needham Height, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

How to cite this article

APA

Shaaban, K., & Reda, R. (2021). Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(3), em1944. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727

Vancouver

Shaaban K, Reda R. Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2021;17(3):em1944. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727

AMA

Shaaban K, Reda R. Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2021;17(3), em1944. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727

Chicago

Shaaban, Khaled, and Ranya Reda. "Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2021 17 no. 3 (2021): em1944. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727

Harvard

Shaaban, K., and Reda, R. (2021). Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(3), em1944. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727

MLA

Shaaban, Khaled et al. "Impact of College Provided Transportation on the Absenteeism and Academic Performance of Engineering Students". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 17, no. 3, 2021, em1944. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727