Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T12:08:35.609Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Student absenteeism in high schools: factors to consider

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

Mehmet Özcan
Mehmet Özcan*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Nevşehir, Turkey
*
Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the reasons for school absenteeism among students studying at different types of high schools, and school counsellors’ practices and proposed solutions for reducing school absenteeism. This was a qualitative research conducted with a phenomenological design. The study group was formed using criterion sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods. The research was conducted in Turkey during the 2018–2019 academic year with 21 school counsellors working at different types of high schools and having at least 5 years of experience. The school counsellors were asked four questions on school absenteeism using a semistructured interview form. Each interview took 30–45 minutes and interview notes were taken synchronously. According to the research findings, poor academic outcomes, parental involvement, school management and school schedules, as well as health issues and a lack of social activities are the main factors influencing school absenteeism. Potential solutions that can be offered by school counsellors include increasing family involvement, improving the school climate, addressing health issues, planning new social activities and offering flexible syllabus options for students.

Keywords

school counsellorstudenthigh schoolschool absenteeismreasons for absenteeism
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , June 2022 , pp. 65 - 81
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adıgüzel, A., & Karadaş, H. (2013). The level of effect of high school students’ attitudes towards school on their absenteeism and school success. Van Yuzuncu Yil University Journal of Faculty of Education, 10, 49–67.Google Scholar
Aküzüm, C., Yavaş, T., Tan, Ç., & Uçar, M.B. (2015). Reasons of school absenteeism and dropout of primary school students. Uşak University Journal of Social Sciences, 8, 167–191.Google Scholar
Askeland, K.G., Haugland, S., Stormark, K.M., Boe, T., & Hysing, M. (2015). Adolescent school absenteeism and service use in a population-based study. Public Health, 15, 1–9. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1978-9 Google ScholarPubMed
Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, V. (2012). The importance of being in school: A report on absenteeism in the nation’s public schools. Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools.Google Scholar
Balu, R., & Ehrlich, S.B. (2018). Making sense out of incentives: a framework for considering the design, use, and implementation of incentives to improve attendance. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 23, 93–106. doi: 10.1080/10824669.2018.1438898 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bellici, N. (2015). Analyzing secondary school students’ school attendance with regards to various variables. Abant İzzet Baysal University Journal of Faculty of Education, 15, 48–65.Google Scholar
Best, J.W., & Kahn, J.V. (1998). Research in education. Allyn and Bacon.Google Scholar
Birioukov, A. (2016). Beyond the excused/unexcused absence binary: Classifying absenteeism through a voluntary/ involuntary absence framework. Educational Review, 68, 340–357. doi: 10.1080/00131911.2015.1090400 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blount, T. (2012). Dropout prevention: Recommendations for school counsellors. Journal of School Counseling, 10, 1–33.Google Scholar
Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E.K., Akgün, Ö.E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2017). Scientific research method. Pegem.Google Scholar
Christensen, L.B., Johnson, R.B., & Turner, L.A. (2011). Research methods, design, and analysis. Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Cristopher, A.K. (2008). School absenteeism and school refusal behaviour in youth: A contemporary review. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 451–471. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2007.07.012 Google Scholar
Demir, K., & AkmanKarabeyoglu, Y. (2015). Factors associated with absenteeism in high schools. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 62, 37–56. doi: 10.14689/ejer.2016.62.4 Google Scholar
Fornander, M.J., & Kearney, C. (2019). Family environment variables as predictors of school absenteeism severity at multiple levels: ensemble and classification and regression tree analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1–9. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02381 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gase, L.N., DeFosset, A., Perry, R., & Kuo, T. (2016). Youths’ perspectives on the reasons underlying school truancy and opportunities to improve school attendance. The Qualitative Report, 21, 299–320.Google Scholar
Gül, S., Kıran, Ö., & Nasirsi, H. (2016). Reasons behind absenteeism of students of high school in light of new regulations and its advantages in Atakum example. Journal of International Social Research, 9, 925–933.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haynes, N.M., Emmons, C., & Ben-Avie, M. (1997). School climate as a factor in student adjustment and achievement. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 8, 321–329. doi: 10.1207/s1532768xjepc0803_4 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hendron, M., & Kearney, C.A. (2016). School climate and student absenteeism and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. Children & Schools, 38, 109–116. doi: 10.1093/cs/cdw009 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henry, K.L. (2007). Who’s skipping school: Characteristics of truants in 8th and 10th grade? Journal of School Health, 77, 29–35. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00159.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heyne, D., Gren-Landell, M., Melvin, G., & Gentle-Genitty, C. (2019). Differentiation between school attendance problems: Why and how? Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26, 8–34. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.03.006 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houser, J. (2015). Nursing research: reading, using, and creating evidence. Jones and Bartlett Learning.Google Scholar
Ingul, J.M., Klöckner, C.A, Silverman, W.K., & Nordahl, H.M. (2012). Adolescent school absenteeism: modelling social and individual risk factors. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17, 93–100. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00615.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, C., & Collair, L. (2017). Adolescent identity formation in the context of vocationally oriented special needs schools. South African Journal of Education, 37, 1–10. doi: 10.15700/saje.v37n3a1249 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearney, C.A., & Graczyk, P. (2014). A response to intervention model to promote school attendance and decrease school absenteeism. Child & Youth Care Forum, 43, 1–25. doi: 10.1007/s10566-013-9222-1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimani, G.N., Kara, A.M., & Njagi, L.W. (2013). Teacher factors influencing students’ academic achievement in secondary schools in Nyandarua County, Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research, 1, 1–14.Google Scholar
Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lonkila, M. (1995). Grounded theory as an emerging paradigm for computer assisted qualitative data analysis. In Keller, U. (Eds.), Computer-aided qualitative data analysis (pp. 41-51). Sage.Google Scholar
Lukkarinen, A., Koivukangas, P., & Seppälä, T. (2016). Relationship between class attendance and student performance. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 228, 341–347. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.07.051 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maxwell, J.A. (1996). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. London, Applied Social Research Methods Series. Sage.Google Scholar
McGregor, G., & Mills, M. (2014). Teaching in the ‘margins’: Rekindling a passion for teaching. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 35, 1–18. doi: 10.1080/01425692.2012.740813 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maynard, B.R., Heyne, D., Brendel, K.E., Bulanda, J.J., Thompson, A.M., & Pigott, T.D. (2018). Treatment for school refusal among children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research on Social Work Practice, 28, 56–67. doi: 10.1177/1049731515598619 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage.Google Scholar
Nkechi, E.E., Ewomaoghene, E.E., & Egenti, N. (2016). The role of guidance and counselling in effective teaching and learning in schools. RAY: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 1, 36–48.Google Scholar
Özbaş, M. (2010). The reasons of absenteeism in primary schools. Education and Science Journal, 35, 32–44.Google Scholar
Patton, M.Q. (2014). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Sage.Google Scholar
Povey, J., Campbell, A., Willis, L., Haynes, M., Western, M., Bennett, S., Antrobus, E., & Pedde, C. (2016). Engaging parents in schools and building parent-school partnerships: The role of school and parent organisation leadership. International Journal of Educational Research, 79, 128–141. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2016.07.005 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, K. (1983). Retrospection and persistent school absenteeism. Educational Research, 25, 110–115. doi: 10.1080/0013188830250204 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, K. (1985). Truancy and school absenteeism. Hodder & Stoughton.Google Scholar
Reid, K. (2014). Managing school attendance. Successful intervention strategies for reducing truancy. Routledge.Google Scholar
Ricking, H. (2014). Schul absentismus. Cornelsen.Google Scholar
Rocque, M., Jennings, W.G., Piquero, A.R., Ozkan, T., & Farrington, D.P. (2017). The importance of school attendance: Findings from the Cambridge study in delinquent development on the life-course effects of truancy. Crime & Delinquency, 63, 592–612. doi: 10.1177/0011128716660520 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Şanlı, Ö., Altun, M., & Tan, Ç. (2015). Examining the reasons for students being absent from schools in accordance with the views of the students who are absent from their schools. Electronic Journal of Social Sciences, 14, 161–177.Google Scholar
Segalo, L., & Rambuda, A.M. (2018). South African public school teachers’ views on right to discipline learners. South African Journal of Education, 38, 1–7. doi: 10.15700/saje.v38n2a1448 Google Scholar
Singh, R. (2012). Factors contributing to absenteeism of nurses in Primary Care centres in the Kwini Municipal District of KwaZulu-Natal (Unpublished master’s thesis). Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.Google Scholar
Sivakumar, M., & Sarvalingam, A. (2010). Human Deprivation Index: A measure of multidimensional poverty. Springer Nature/ Google Scholar
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage.Google Scholar
Tabuchi, T., Fujihara, S., Shinozaki, T., & Fukuhara, H. (2018). Determinants of high-school dropout: A longitudinal study in a deprived area of Japan. Journal of Epidemiology, 28, 458–464. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20170163 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teasley, M.L. (2004). Absenteeism and truancy: Risk, protection, and best practice implications for school social workers. Children and Schools, 26, 117–127. doi: 10.1093/cs/26.2.117 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Uppal, P., Paul, P., & Sreenivas, V. (2010). School absenteeism among children and its correlates: A predictive model for identifying absentees. Indian Pediatrics, 47, 925–929.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Eck, K., Johnson, S.R., Bettencourt, A., & Johnson, S.L. (2017). How school climate relates to chronic absence: A multi-level latent profile analysis. Journal of School Psychology, 61, 89–102. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2016.10.001 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vervoort, T., Logan, D., Goubert, L., De Clercq, B., & Hublet, A. (2014). Severity of pediatric pain in relation to school-related functioning and teacher support: An epidemiological study among school-aged children and adolescents. Pain, 155, 1118–1127. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2014.02.021 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yıldız, M., & Kula, K.Ş. (2012). Researching the reasons of students’ absenteeism in regional boarding primary schools. Çukurova University Social Science Institute Journal, 21, 433–446.Google Scholar