Relaxed attendance rules in German universities reshape academic work, study finds

A legal relaxation of mandatory attendance requirements in university courses in certain German states has produced both gains and costs for academic staff, according to a qualitative study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. The research, led by Rabia Yılmaz and Engin Karadag, examined how academics at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany experienced the policy change during the 2023–2024 academic year.

The study used a descriptive design within a qualitative framework. The researchers conducted semi-structured online interviews with six academics and analyzed the data using descriptive methods. Because the study group was small and drawn from a single institution, the findings describe the experiences of this particular case rather than establishing effects across German higher education as a whole.

The analysis showed that the regulation operates within a multi-layered structure. Higher education policies vary among the German states in line with the country’s federal structure, and participation policies are shaped within this decentralized governance framework. The emergence of the relaxed attendance rules was also influenced by the positioning of students as autonomous and adult individuals, as well as by political and institutional pressure dynamics.

According to the findings, the regulation enhanced student autonomy and self-regulation skills, supported intrinsic motivation, and fostered innovation and academic competition in teaching processes. These perceived benefits align with the study’s framing through self-determination theory, which the authors used to interpret how autonomy-supportive conditions relate to motivation in academic settings.

However, the same regulation was associated with significant negative consequences reported by the participants. These included a decline in faculty motivation, weakened classroom interaction, reduced course quality, and a diminished sense of responsibility among students. The study thus presents a mixed picture in which the same policy produces pedagogical opportunities and structural risks at the same time.

In conclusion, the authors argue that attendance policies in higher education require balanced approaches that weigh student autonomy against the quality of teaching processes. The study’s scope remains limited to the perspectives of six academics at one German university during one academic year, and the article is a shared early version that is subject to further edits before the final Version of Record.

Subject of Research: The impact of relaxed attendance mandates in German higher education on academic practices and experiences

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

Article References: Yılmaz, R., & Karadag, E. (2026). Legislative revisions to attendance mandates in german higher education and the experiences of academics: a case study informed by self-determination theory. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-09493-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-09493-x

Keywords: higher education, attendance policy, Germany, self-determination theory, student autonomy, academic motivation, teaching quality, qualitative research, education policy, federal governance, Legislative, revisions