Factors affecting poor lecture attendance during the first three weeks of the semester: Agricultural engineering department, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe Mavima Godwin, Pedzisai Constantine, Mahlatini Precious, Soropa Gabriel, Jambwa Daniel, Mavima Godwin Chinhoyi University of Technology, P. Bag, 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe Online published on 20 June, 2019. Abstract The study was conducted at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Zimbabwe in the Department of Agricultural Engineering. The study's aim was to investigate factors affecting poor lecture attendance during the first three weeks of the semester. A qualitative survey was used were questionnaires were administered to 80 students and in depth interviews were conducted on 15 University staff comprising of lecturers and administrators in the Department. The qualitative data was then analysed using SPSS 20 software package by way of frequencies to find out the common factors affecting poor lecture attendance during the first three weeks of semester at CUT. The study found out that financial constraint, age timetabling and clashes of venues, registration process and late publication of supplementary results are the main factors affecting poor lecture attendance during the first three weeks of the semester. The study concluded that, although financial constraints and age are common factors affecting lecture attendance across all universities, CUT has its own unique factors affecting the phenomenon under study. The study recommended that the university should provide support programmes which encourage returning students to start attending classes during the first three weeks of the weeks and also that the study should be expanded to other academic departments of the university so as to validate these findings. Top Keywords Poor lecture attendance, factors and semester. Top |