Preferring Online, Still Showing up: Understanding Campus Attendance in Hybrid Higher Education

The growing availability of digital learning resources has reduced the necessity of physical campus attendance, raising questions about the relationship between learning preferences and attendance behavior. This study examined whether online learning orientation and reduced necessity for physical presence are associated with lower attendance or coexist with continued campus participation. Survey data from 1001 university students in Israel were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling, including a split-sample robustness assessment. The analyses supported a four-factor structure, with preferences for online learning and perceived value of campus-based learning loading in opposite directions on a common latent dimension. Contrary to a substitution perspective, stronger online learning orientation and reduced necessity for physical attendance were positively associated with self-reported campus attendance. Campus social value was associated with a stronger campus-based orientation but, contrary to expectations, with lower attendance. Campus environment and services showed a positive conditional association with attendance but no significant association with learning modality orientation. The structural model explained 31.5% of the variance in attendance. These findings highlight the distinction between learning preferences, perceived necessity, and attendance behavior, suggesting that digital flexibility does not necessarily correspond to reduced physical participation.