LAUSR

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating roles of absenteeism and continuous assessments on overall academic performance at undergraduate level using structural equation modelling. Design/methodology/approach Pragmatic worldview with a mixed-method approach were used in this study. Data was collected using a variety of tools. Subsequent analyses used both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Interviews and documentary analyses were used to identify the dimensions of student disengagement while structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to determine mediation among selected variables. Findings The results of this study showed that absence rates mediated the relationship between performance on continuous assessments and GPA. Absence rates also mediated the relationship between personal circumstances and GPA and finally, course selection impacted on GPA with performance on continuous assessments as mediator. Three hypotheses were not supported and the implications are discusse...