The School Absenteeism among High School Students: Contributing Factors

Abstract

All students, yet for one reason or another, at one time or other time want miss to a day of school. The general tendency to engage in such unwillingness is referred to absenteeism. Student absenteeism is defined by Teasley (2004) as a period of time when a student does not attend school, has become major and continuous problem among high school students in many countries. Indeed, numerous studies conducted to answer a question that is why high school students miss classes. In this notion, Teasley have noted numerous risk factors that contribute to student absenteeism such as family health, low income, poor school climate, drug and alcohol use, transportation problems, and community attitudes towards education. Pehlivan (2006) found that the major reason given by students for non-attendance at lecture or school were bored at school, dislike of school and lessons, encouragement of friends, and lack of expectations about education. Wilkins (2008) has reported four themes, which play important role to motivate students to attend school such as school climate, academic environment, discipline, and relationships with teachers. Ingul, Klockner, Silverman, and Nordahl (2012) found that school absenteeism associated with internalizing and externalizing behavior, family work and health, and school environment. In another study, Henry (2007) has noted that parents' education levels contribute to students' absenteeism. Simons, Hwang, Fitzgerald, Kielb, and Lin (2010) found that there are an association between absenteeism of student and unfavorable school setting conditions. In addition, some researches argued that students' attitude and motivation for learning was a key factor in student absenteeism (Devadoss & Foltz, 1996; Gump, 2006; Gokyer, 2012; Kottasz, 2005; Marburger, 2001; Paisey & Paisey, 2004). For example, Kottasz (2005) found that student with low motivation are absent more than student with high motivation level. Schwartz, Radcliffe, and Barakat (2009) reported that absenteeism negatively related to future-oriented academic goals. Watkins and Watkins (1994) found that student absenteeism was predicted by academic failure, low school effort and previous grades. Another group authors argued that students' attitude towards teacher and school play important role in school absenteeism (Adiguzel & Karadac, 2013; Attwood & Croll, 2006; Gokyer, 2012; Pehlivan, 2006; Veenstra, Lindenberg, Tinga, & Ormel, 2010; Wilkins, 2008). For example, Adiguzel and Karadac (2013) found that student with high level of absenteeism reported negative attitudes towards school. Attwood and Croll (2006) found that students' negative attitude to teachers is related to school absenteeism. As a result, school absenteeism has a complex nature that includes risk factors associated with personal, academic, family, school environment, and social variables.Because of absenteeism has a complex nature, the consequences of high level school absenteeism can be detrimental for students. In the other words, the absenteeism among high school students can lead to more negative effect such as low academic performance and many social problems. In regarding relationship between student absenteeism and academic achievement, Epstein and Sheldon (2002) stated that student with absenteeism miss opportunities to leam the material that enables them to succeed later in school and; fall behind their classmates in academic achievement. In this notion, previous studies has revealed that student absenteeism is related academic failure and academic performance (Adiguzel & Karadac, 2013; Altmkurt, 2008; Gottfried, 2009; Klem & Connell, 2004; Korir, Charo, Ogichi, & Thinguri, 2014; McCluskey, Bynum, & Putchin, 2004; Moonie, Streling, Figgs, & Castro, 2008; Nichols, 2003; Morrissey, Hutchison, & Winsler, 2014; Yakovlev & Kinney, 2008). In addition some authors believed that level of academic achievement lead school absenteeism (Devadoss & Foltz 2001; Watkins & Watkins, 1994; Wayt, 1990). …