Legislative revisions to attendance mandates in german higher education and the experiences of academics: a case study informed by self-determination theory

This study investigates the impact of a legal regulation that relaxes mandatory attendance requirements in university courses in certain German states on academic practices. This study employed a descriptive design within a qualitative framework. The study group comprised six academics affiliated with Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany during the 2023–2024 academic year.

Data were collected through semi-structured online interviews and analyzed using descriptive methods. The findings reveal that the legal regulation operates within a multi-layered structure. First, it was determined that higher education policies vary among the states in accordance with Germany’s federal structure, and that participation policies are shaped within this decentralized governance framework.

Second, the emergence of the regulation was influenced by the positioning of students as autonomous and adult individuals, as well as by political and institutional pressure dynamics. Third, regulation enhances student autonomy and self-regulation skills, supports intrinsic motivation, and fosters innovation and academic competition in teaching processes. However, it was also determined that the regulation has led to significant negative consequences, such as a decline in faculty motivation, weakened classroom interaction, reduced course quality, and a diminished sense of responsibility among students.

In conclusion, this study demonstrates that attendance policies in higher education encompass both pedagogical opportunities and structural risks, highlighting the necessity of balanced policies that strike a balance between student autonomy and the quality of teaching processes. The authors declare no competing interests. All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

The authors received ethical approval (decision no. 324) from the Academic Ethics Committee of Akdeniz University on September 08, 2024. The survey was conducted with the consent of the participants, and the purpose and procedure of the study were explained. This investigation was conducted between March and December 2024.

Before initiating data collection, the researcher sought and obtained the participants’ consent to participate in the study. All participants voluntarily participated in the study, accepting the researcher’s assurance of anonymity and the use of their responses solely for academic purposes. All information was anonymized, and the submission did not include images that may identify any person.