Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region X – Northern Mindanao
DIVISION OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL
SAN JUAN NATIONAL HIGH SHOOL
San Juan, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental

Factors Affecting the Absenteeism of Grade 8 Learners of

San Juan National High School for School Year 2017-2018

AMOR BABE S. TABASA

Teacher I/Researcher

September 2018
Part I. Situation/Scenario/Setting

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, absenteeism is "chronic

absence." In the context of school, it is the habitual or intentional failure to attend
school. While every student may miss some school activities now and then, absence
becomes a problem when the student is away from school for many days.

For improving achievement, boosting student attendance seems like the

lowest of the low-hanging fruit: If you can't get the kids to school, nothing else you do
matters. But new research on chronic absenteeism reveals surprising details can
make a difference in whether students make it to class.

Going to school regularly is crucially important for a student’s education

and social skills. Chronically absent students are at a disadvantage both socially and
academically. They miss out on critical stages of social interaction and development
with their peers, while simultaneously limiting their academic progress. This can result
in low self-esteem, social isolation, and dissatisfaction that could well have precipitated
non-attendance in the first place.

Attendance is an important factor in school success among children and

youth. Studies show that better attendance is related to higher academic achievement
for students of all backgrounds, but particularly for children with lower socio-economic
status .Beginning in kindergarten, students who attend school regularly score higher
on tests than their peers who are frequently absent.

School absenteeism is an alarming problem for administrators, teachers,

parents, society in general, and pupils in particular. Unaccepted absences have a
negative effect on peer relationships, which can cause further absences. According to
Malcolm, Wilson, Davidson and Kirk (2003) teachers identified the effects of
absenteeism on children as:
  academic under-achievement

 lack of confidence

 lack of subject interest

 difficulty in making friends which could lead to boredom and loss of confidence.

 prolonged absence can have deleterious effects for the child in later life.

 poor teaching skills

 health related

Absenteeism also affects the teacher’s ability to present classwork in a

sequential and organized way. This can have an effect on the progress of all the
students in the class.

Families of habitually absent students can also suffer. For a poverty-

stricken family, it may mean a continuation of the poverty and unemployment cycle
that may run in the family. This also contributes to family conflicts.

Society also suffers when school-age children are not in school. These
children may hang out on the streets. Since they have nothing to do, they resort to
petty crimes like stealing other people’s belongings and property. Others may become
addicted to drugs or engage in other destructive behavior. Thus, if a student keeps
away from school for too long, he may grow up to be a liability to his community and
his country as a whole.

It is the aim of every school to lessen, if not eradicate, absenteeism

among its students. One way of addressing this problem is to identify the causes of
truancy. Once they are singled out, understood, and analyzed, these issues may be
addressed with specific actions and measures. This will eventually result in the better
performance of the students, teachers, and the school in general.

It is in this context that this action research was undertaken, that is, to
identify the causes why the grade 8 students in this school absent themselves from
their classes.
Part II. The Intervention

In order to limit or eliminate absenteeism, it is recommended that educators:

1. Educate the students on how to take care of their overall well-being.

Emphasis should be given to oral health and overall body wellness. Teach
them how to avoid communicable diseases. Give them information on how to
properly wash their hands, which is the main source of germs and bacteria among
children. Let them develop proper eating habits. Since most of the children in the
school come from poor families, point out to them the cheap but healthy foods.
Ask them to pass on this information to their parents.

2. Ensure that classroom atmosphere is conducive to learning.

Noise-reduction among students should be a priority. Older children, like

grade VI students, tend to have louder voices so they should be taught how to
speak softly and without needing to shout. The key here is discipline.The teacher
must also see to it that the students are comfortable and have no other concerns
except the lesson at hand. There should be a lively interaction between the
teacher and the students, but the teacher should see to it that noise is modulated
so as not to distract pupils from their learning.

3. Inform parents about the benefit of keeping their children in school.

Emphasize to them that if they keep on asking their children to be absent,

this will set a bad example to the child. If the parents themselves are keeping the
child away from school, they must believe that household concerns are more
important than their education. Parents should understand the value of the study
and they should not pamper their children for not attending classes.

4. Refrain from scolding/humiliating misbehaving pupils.

As much as possible, remind them of their wrong doing in a most

diplomatic manner. Self-control should be a virtue which the teacher should
practice in the course of her teaching everyday of the school week.
 5. Give extra attention to those who are left behind in the lessons.

Tap the bright pupils to teach their slower classmates. In other words,
cooperative learning should be practiced in the teaching-learning process. Once
a slow student fully understands the lesson, he/she can keep up with his/her other
classmates, thus self-confidence is gained.

6. Emphasize that academic success is very much dependent on student

attitude towards school.

Motivate them so they will be looking forward to attending their classes

regularly. For those who wake up late, encourage them to get an alarm clock. Do
not scold the pupils who come late. Give them a time-table to change their
sleeping habits and to study before bed instead of watching TV.

7. Enhance teacher’s teaching skills and strategies

Teachers should plan and create activities that are fun and engaging as
to not bore the students. Lessons should be related to their lives so they can see
the importance. At the end of the day, teachers have the sole responsibility for
getting the students attend the class, letting them stay in class and making them
learn.

Part III. Summary

This action research examined the causes of absenteeism among grade

8 students of San Juan National High School during the academic year 2018-2019
and seeks to provide key recommendations that may yield higher levels of attendance
and student achievement in urban school districts. It hones on the idea that
educational leaders must be cognizant of the factors relating to absenteeism and its
cost to the educational community at large. Additionally, elements of effective student
truancy plans are recommended that may aide in curtailing student and teacher
absenteeism rate for the district.

High school absenteeism is mostly seen among children, who have a

low well-being and come from homes with a poor cooperation with school. These two
were the most dominating possible reasons out of many, which were investigated.
 Chronic truancy (frequent unexcused absence) is a strong predictor of
undesirable outcomes in adolescence, including academic failure, dropping out of
school, substance abuse, gang involvement, and criminal activity.

Many factors can contribute to student absenteeism. Family health or

financial concerns, poor school climate, drug and alcohol use, transportation
problems, and differing community attitudes towards education are among the
conditions that are often associated with a child’s frequent absence from school.
Based on the findings, methods and strategies were recommended to minimize, if not
eradicate absenteeism or truancy.

Within absenteeism, a lot of the focus has been on documenting who's

absent and leaving it there. Those are really important to know, but knowing it doesn't
really move anything forward to solve the problem. Looking at schools and structures
and programs also is a really good way to look at absenteeism, rather than just looking
at families. Therefore, the school mainly the teachers should coordinate and work
hand in hand with the parents and/or guardian of the students to eradicate
absenteeism.