Absenteeism Action Research Faith

ABSTRACT “FACTORS AFFECTING ABSENTEEISM AMONG GRADE 7 STUDENTS OF MAIGO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (S.Y. 2015-2016): BASIS FOR SCHOOL INITIATED INTERVENTIONS”. Leyritana, Alleli Faith P. and Alberto, Mercy Sol S., Maigo National High School, Maigo Lanao del Norte.

KEYWORDS: MNHS ABSENTEES and SCHOOL INITIATED INTERVENTIONS. This study sought to determine the factors responsible to the high absenteeism rate of students in Maigo National High School, school year 20152016. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1) What are the factors or common causes of absences among the selected Grade 7 students? ? 2) What are the conditions in the school that promotes a student’s behavior? 3) What is the level of respondents’ learning performance in terms of: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i)

The students participation to oral discussions Performance in group works. Scores in Quizzes Techniques in coping up Social relation with Teachers Social relations with classmates Contribution to lesson application General Average Speed of analysis and comprehension

4) What are the possible solutions to the identified causes of absenteeism as perceived by teachers and parents? This is a descriptive research. The data gathered were tallied, tabulated and statistically analyzed to answer the problems of the study. The factors that may have influenced the students’ absenteeism were clustered together in the questionnaire into major categories: Physical Factors, Health, Personal

Attitude, Teacher Related Factors, Classroom atmosphere, and Family/Home Related Factors. The researchers used simple statistics, the frequency count and percentage to determine the factors that can be altered through school initiated intervention programs. This research covered at least 31% or 60 of the MNHS students identified as ABSENTEES by the class advisers of all the year levels. Specifically, the focus of this study is the factors affecting absenteeism among the selected Grade 7 students. This was deemed an adequate sampling

of

the

190

identified

ABSENTEES this School Year 2015-2016. The major findings of this study were: 1) Among all the causes presented, health is the primary reason why students are absent from their classes. Flu/fever is the leading culprit in this category. Oral health, which according to the Department of Education is the main cause of absenteeism ranks only 8th 2) Majority, 34 or 89%, of the respondents who are identified absentees, are staying with their parents except for 4 or 11 % who are staying with guardians. Some 10 of the respondents were not able to adjust their time in school and their time for the family, which maybe the reason for their absences from class 3) Majority of the respondents’ comment is that their classroom is noisy. Most classrooms were congested with more than 50 as the population, contrasting to the 30-40 ideal classroom population. This congestion and too much noise inside the classroom is one of the reasons for absenteeism among the respondents; 4) Majority of the respondents had sicknesses like headache. Poor health services is the cause for this problem because Health Centers were very

far from their area; 5)13 or 34% spends their leisure time in activities which are entirely for to look for a livelihood since Maigo is an aqua-agricultural area and most people live in hinterlands and the shores where they can find food; these activities were specified as attending to farms, helping their parents in fishing, harvesting corn and many more. 6) some students have been out of school because they had sicknesses like diarrhea. This is because of the poor water supply in the area; 7) Majority of the respondents, said that they were too preoccupied with their household chores and that their parents were the ones who made the

students watch for their younger siblings while their

parents are out to look for a living; 8) respondents had poor oral health. This may be because there is a poor access to health facilities that will encourage them to have a sound hygiene and promote good health; 8.1) some of the respondents had no money to buy snacks in school due to parents’ financial constraint and due to unemployment; 8.2) bullying is one of the factors for absenteeism among the respondents; the respondents confided to the researchers that because they were poor or financially incapacitated, some classmates bully the respondents, and some bully the respondents because some of the respondents interviewed were having a hard time coping up with the lessons in school ;9) “Teachers are scolding me”, is one of the reasons why the respondents were always committing absenteeism. Recommendations 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. Noisereduction 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. 4. Refrain from scolding misbehaving pupils. As much as possible, remind them of their wrong doing in a most diplomatic manner. Selfcontrol 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.

Chapter I

The Problem Introduction One of the most frustrating situations to most educators and classroom teachers is when they try so hard to provide the education that students need but these students are always absent. Teachers prepare lesson plans, colorful instructional materials and all other things that will help the students learn conducively but sadly, some of the students are always either tardy or absent. In present times, there is a difficulty in achieving perfect attendance because no matter how interesting and well-prepared teaching materials are, there are students who are likely

to miss out on the day’s activities- willingly or

unwillingly. Absenteeism also affects the teacher’s ability to present classes in

a sequential and organized way. This can have an effect on the progress of all the students in class. Moreover, the teacher will have a limited time to be in contact with students with difficulty in their lessons because most of them may be absent. Going to school regularly is crucial and important for a student’s education and social skills. Students who are frequently absent are a disadvantage both socially and academically. They miss out on critical stages of social interaction and development with peers, and at the same time limiting their academic progress. This may result in low self-esteem, social isolation, and dissatisfaction that could hasten non-attendance in the first place. School absenteeism is an alarming problem not only for School Administrators, teachers and parents but also to society in general. 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.  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. students who are absent from school are at the greatest risk of dropping out of school early.

Absenteeism is also the topmost problem in Maigo National High School. Maigo National High School today has a population of 1,140 students, 42

faculty members and 11 staff. It is located at the heart of Maigo, Lanao del Norte. The number of Grade 7 students reached to 355 as the total population. But sadly, almost half of the population of the Grade 7 students are always absent from class. The researcher handles English Grade 7 to 4 out of 5 sections, so, she finds absenteeism as the major problem in relation to their academic performance. Even the advisers are almost giving up the hope that there is a solution to this problem. Home Visitation is only effective after the teacher has visited the absentee student’s home and having approached their respective parents, but a few weeks after the visitation, the students continue being absent, hence, missing out on learning what they should have gained if only they were present in class. The researcher herself has been witness to this condition. Hence, there is a need to something else, something that will motivate the students to go to school and attend classes regularly. School absenteeism in Maigo National High School has reached a crisis point, primarily because it has been linked to school drop-out rates, which at the higher level has reached the average of 30% for the Grade 7 students only, based on the reports from the Teacher-in-Charge, Ms. Wendy Labastilla, of the Form 3 or the School Movement and status form. This means that even in the lower grade levels of students enrolled in Maigo National High School, more

and more students are already in the list of those who commit chronic absenteeism and in some cases, truancy. Theoretical Framework of the Study The 1987 Constitution mandates that the state shall give priority to education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports, to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress and promote total human liberation and development; the citizens have the right to quality education which should be accessible to all; it requires the establishment and maintenance of free public education in both elementary and high school levels. The theory central to this study is Norma Haan’s Theory of Ego Processes. Haan (1977) postulated that there are certain generic ego processes (coping, defense and fragmentation) that can be used for adaptation. These processes can be used consciously in order to adapt to and/or change the situation as it is, with awareness of what one is doing and why; such conscious processes are classified as coping. Defense is a method of adaptation or self-protection that involves “unyielding fortification” of beliefs or behaviors; while fragmentation is a form of adaptive “failure”. Optimally, the individual copes with adversity and maintains self-consistency. Less optimally, the individual defends against internal and external threats to self-integration. And in time of extreme stress when the maintenance of self-consistency is precarious, fragmentation ensues.

Further, according to Haan, an individual “constructs” a response to his environment, rather than “reacting” to it. As cognitive development proceeds, the individual is able to respond to internal and external stresses in an interestingly sophisticated and adaptive manner. (Martz and Livneh: 2007) Haan in this theory suggest that defense operates on a preconscious level and are not inherently conscious or unconscious in nature. The individual is an active and rational agent in constructing his/her response to the environment. According to The Free Dictionary (2003), some students are "demotivated to come to the school and the young ones who find it extremely difficult to get up early in the morning" are some of the causes of the phenomenon of either absenteeism or tardiness. This can affect their learning since students who frequently skip classes are missing out from what they can learn. Sometimes, students skip classes because they have been coming to school on time or primarily not being present in the time set by the school. Kirkpatrick, Crosnoe and Elder (2001) educational psychologists, stated that school tardiness and absenteeism accelerate if the students are not committed to their school. In an earlier study, Osterman (2000) reached at the same conclusion, vigorously stating that if students are not at home in their school environments, they prefer to be absent or become tardy at school. Beards George, 1981 asserts it as “A delay in few minutes might delay the hope of lifelong learning”.

Conceptual Framework The Independent Variables presented in the study are the profile of the student respondents and their chronic absenteeism. The Dependent Variables present in this study is the academic performance of learners or student respondents of this study. The output of this study is the Intervention Program that the researcher will devise to minimize students’ chronic absenteeism.

Independent Variable

Common Causes of Absenteeism

Dependent Variables Level of Learning of Student Performance in terms of: a. participation to oral discussions b. Performance in group works c. Scores in Quizzes d. Techniques in coping up e. Social relation with Teachers f. Social relations with classmates g. Contribution to lesson application h. General Average i. Speed of analysis and comprehension

Perceived Solutions to the Identified Causes of absenteeism as perceived by the teachers and parents Schematic Diagram of the Study of students

Output

Action Plan

Statement of the Problem Since August of 2015 up to present, there is about 30% or 65 of the Grade VII – Diamond, Amethyst, Sapphire and Emerald students in Maigo National High School who are always absent and/or late in attending to their subsequent classes. Some of them are absent during the morning classes and come to school in the afternoon classes but some of them are always absent. The sample of this study is the number of students who are habitually absent, or 65 are always absent from November of 2015 up to present. This study will answer the specific questions as follows:

1. What are the common causes of absences committed by the Grade 7 students? 2. What are the conditions in the school that promotes a student’s behavior? 3. What is the level of respondents’ learning performance in terms of: j) The students participation to oral discussions k) Performance in group works. l) Scores in Quizzes m) Techniques in coping up n) Social relation with Teachers

o) p) q) r)

Social relations with classmates Contribution to lesson application General Average Speed of analysis and comprehension

4. What are the possible solutions to the identified causes of absenteeism as perceived by teachers and parents? Methodology

All of the 65 Grade VII students (from sections Diamond, Sapphire, Amethyst and Emerald) will be asked to complete a questionnaire. They will be rated through various situations, reasons, and causes for being absent from school. All of the data will then be organized, tallied, tabulated, and presented in a series of tables and graphs. Frequency counts, percentage weight values and weighted mean will be used in the analysis and interpretation of data.

The responses will be analyzed using a five-point Likert scale with the following equivalent:

    

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

never rarely sometimes very often Always

It should be noted that the questionnaire will be given to students in their native dialect to increase the chance of accurate responses.

Figures will be rounded signify classification of responses. The measure of central tendency, specifically the mean, will be used to determine the average value of response or response average of the students.

Scope and Delimitation The study will be conducted within the classes of sections Diamond, Amethyst, Sapphire and Emerald. This group of student belongs to the K+ 12 Curriculum Program of Maigo National High School. The total of this group of students for these sections from Grade 7 is 147, with 72 who are male and 75 who are female. This group of students has English classes under the researcher. The survey questions will be delimited to obtaining primary and secondary reasons of tardiness as well as assessing related factors underlying therewith. Information acquired and provided by students will be used to confirm or negate the possible causes of absenteeism. The result of the survey will then contribute insight in planning and drafting of the solutions in addressing the said problems being identified that needs appropriate action. An Action Plan or Intervention Plan for this problem will be the final output of the said research to be implemented upon approval of the School Administrator.

The researcher will use a sampling method with inquiries which is not answerable by yes or no. The researcher arbitrarily selects this group of students for they well represent a typical student which his/her primary aim is to learn and excel in school. Significance of the Study The result of the findings of this study will benefit the following individuals in their own respective fields: The Student. When a person will know the effects of his actions and decisions he or she has done, he or she will look for ways to lessen the damage done. This study is aimed at raising awareness of the impact of chronic absenteeism to the lives of the students who commit such acts by directing the students to do better than what they already are doing. To students who are chronic absentees, they will be given a new opportunity to go back to school and may decline the number of the ratio of absenteeism. The Teachers. Being a teacher means that one must assume the role of the second parent to the students he or she is in contact with students. However, students who commit chronic absenteeism are one of the stressors to teachers. This study will be helpful to teachers who encounter the phenomenon of absenteeism among students. The teacher will be able to devise intervention

programs to reduce the number of students who commit chronic absenteeism. This study may also become a guide to teachers as they can implement or improve the interventions recommended by the researcher for future use. The School Administrator. The School Administration is the primary people affected upon knowing the effects of absenteeism. Their concerns can then be discussed with the student body and so as the student body sharing their troubles to the administration. Through a conference the administration might be able to arrive to solutions which can be applicable o different situations. The DepEd Authorities. The Department of Education main goal is to be able to produce productive citizens of the community. Absenteeism is one of the factors that disturb the stableness of this goal. When the results are evident,

the

DepEd

authorities

together

with

the

different

school

administration may arrive to a step by step planning to kill the rodents of absenteeism. The

Parent.

The

parents

are

the

direct

and

the

baseline

in

communication in relation to their child’s regular truancy. Knowing the impact of absenteeism to their child’s learning performance, a parent will be at the

concerns of convincing their child to attend school and protect them from the primary causes of their absences. Definition of Terms Used There following are the terms used in this study. These terms need to be defined to clarify the meaning of the words included in this study: 

Absenteeism, according to Casio (2003) is “any failure of a student to report in class. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines absenteeism as “chronic absence” or, in the context of school, the habitual or intentional



failure to attend classes. Absenteeism in school is the habit of staying away from school without providing

a

genuine

Absenteeism is



a

or

truant

any

reason

behavior

for that

not

attending

negatively

classes.

affects

the

performance among students. Absenteeism- In this study, absenteeism is considered chronic if a student incurs 3 absences within one school week and 40 days within one school year based on DEPED Order # 88, S. 2010 (See School Form



1 and School Form 2 Rules on Absenteeism, attached as “Appendix 1”). DECS Order # 92, S. 1990. This is the Department Order which is the basis of DepEd Order No. 88, S. 2010 which has the Attendance and

 

Punctuality Clause in both Public and Private Schools. DepEd Order No. 88, S. 2010 and 49, S. 2006. Sec. 157.1 Attendance and Punctuality.



Sec 157.2. Absences. A pupil or student who incurs absences of more than twenty percent (20%) of the prescribed number of class or laboratory periods during the School Year or term should be given a failing grade and given no credit for the course or subject. Furthermore, the School Head may, at his or her discretion and in the individual case exempt a pupil or student who exceeds the twenty percent (20%) limit for reasons considered as valid and acceptable to the school. Such discretion shall not excuse the pupil/student concerned from responsibility of keeping up with lessons, assignments and taking examinations when indicated. The discretionary authority is vested in the School Head, and may not be availed of by a student nor granted by a faculty member without the consent of the School Head. Habitual tardiness especially during the first period in the morning and in the afternoon shall not be allowed. Teachers concerned shall call for the student concerned or visit



him or her at home. Family problem. Family problems can affect student school attendance. This includes financial support (the family can’t afford education or education is not a primary necessity), differing community attitudes towards education (the people that surround the students’ home and within it education is not given importance), transportation (the family

might live in a very rural community where in transportation cannot



easily reach.) Grade 7- In this study, some selected Grade 7 students are the students belonging to the K + 12 Program of the Department of Education, currently enrolled in Maigo National High School. They are the respondents of this study who are taught English by the proponent of



the study. Individual learning performance. The variation on the learning of a student being monitored in different ways (e.g. class interaction, test



results, quizzes, etc.) Teacher Factor- One of the causes why students do not come to school regularly is the behavior of some teachers which could be linked to



higher dropout rates due to too much absenteeism among students. Truancy, according to Bell et. al. (1994) is an “unexpected and unlawful absence from school without parental knowledge.

Chapter II Review of Related Literature

This Chapter presents a review of related literature which includes the following sections: introduction, importance of attendance, consequences of absenteeism, overview of the attendance policy in Public Schools in the Philippines, descriptions of related attendance policies, descriptions of related attendance programs, and studies (foreign and local) related to the current study.

Importance of Attendance

Filipinos have deep regard for education. Education occupies a central place in Philippine political, economic social and cultural life. It has always been strongly viewed as a pillar of national development and a primary avenue for social and economic mobility. (Philippine Education for All Primer: Implementation and Challenges. 2015) The National Government, in fact, clearly placed value on education higher than any of the country’s needs because the government has placed a high proportion of budget going to the education sector. Reportedly, the Department of Education (DepEd), the country’s biggest bureaucracy, is given the highest budget allocation among government agencies each year as required by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. (UN Country Report in 2008) The 1987 Constitution likewise promises the right to education of every Filipino. It

provided that, “The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make education accessible to all.” The right of every Filipino to quality basic education is further emphasized in Republic Act 9155 or the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001. Along with Republic Act 6655 or the Free Secondary Education Act, these laws reaffirm the policy of the State to protect and promote the rights of all Filipinos by providing children free and compulsory education in the elementary and high school level. This pertains to six years of free tuition fees for children aged 6 to 11, and free four years of secondary schooling for those aged 12 to 15. Along with “Education for All”, the Philippines is also committed to pursue eight time-bound and specific targets under the Millennium Declaration which it signed on September 2000. The Declaration, in general, aims to reduce poverty by half in 2015 (22.65 percent proportion of the population below poverty incidence and 12.15 percent below subsistence incidence by 2015). With the adoption of the Declaration, the Philippines likewise affirmed its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) geared towards reducing poverty, hunger, diseases, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. These goals have been mainstreamed in the country’s Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010

including policies and plans related to children, access to primary education and gender equality. Specifically, Part IV of the MTPDP focused on “Education and Youth Opportunity.” However, despite the legal mechanisms, budget prioritization and increased access, Philippine education has been dogged with issues. Among the issues that needs to be resolved but have improved lately include the high dropout rates, high number of repeaters, low passing grades, lack of particular language skills, failure to adequately respond and address the needs of people with special needs, overcrowded classrooms and poor teacher performances. These problems in turn resulted to a considerable number of illiterate Filipinos and out of school youths and graduates who are not prepared for work. The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in January 2002, provides increased accountability for states, school districts, and schools, as well as more flexibility for states and local agencies in how they use federal education dollars, in the US. In the Philippines, the Department of Education has also adhered to the Education for All Policy of the UNESCO which states that every Filipino should be in school regardless of his or her social status because in the first place, education is a right and not a privilege. The Adequate Yearly Progress measures hold elementary and middle schools accountable for student absenteeism. http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

Going to school regularly is crucially important for a student’s education and social skills. Chronic absentee students are placed at a disadvantage both socially and academically. “Chronic absenteeism” is defined generally as persistent nonattendance from work or school (McCray, 2006). Webster further defines the word “chronic” as that which is “marked by long duration or frequent recurrence.” Hence, chronic school absenteeism is absenteeism within the school system that occurs multiple times over a long period of time. Chronic school absenteeism differs from the following in that school absenteeism can also be described under various terms such as truancy and school phobia, terms that together can provide greater understanding of school absenteeism. Truancy, by definition, is the act of staying away from school without permission (McCray, 2006). School phobia, on the other hand, has been defined as an irrational fear or anxiety about attending school (Chitiyo, Wheeler, 2006). However, truancy and school phobia are specific terms that are linked to possible underlying reasons for not attending school, and while touched upon will not be the focus of this effort. Instead, chronic school absenteeism will be used, as the term is more general and denotes the problem instead of the possible causes. Due to chronic absenteeism, students miss out on critical stages of social interaction and development with their peers and at the same time impacts negatively on their academic progress, as cited in the study of Batingal (2014).

This can result to low self-esteem, social isolation and dissatisfaction that could well have precipitated non-attendance in the first place. Educators have long emphasized the importance of class attendance. Only in the classroom may the student hear the teacher's presentation, participate in class discussions, and enjoy the benefits of spontaneous interactions between the students and teacher. It comes as no surprise that students with high absence rates earn lower grades than students with better attendance (Redick & Nicoll 1990). Fleming and Zafirau found that over threefourths of school failure rates were explained by the attendance rate (Fleming & Zafirau 1982). Consequences of Absenteeism: A. Increased Number of Dropouts due to too many students who are frequently absent from school B. Students who do not go to school regularly are at risk of becoming a menace to society as they can commit crimes or they become juvenile delinquents There are both personal and societal costs of dropping out. The loss of taxes, loss of production and the cost of assistance provided to dropouts make the problem of high school non-completion an issue for every taxpayer. Each year's class of dropouts will cost the country over $200 billion (Hale, 2014) or more than Php 92 Trillion Pesos during their lifetimes in lost earnings and unrealized tax revenue. Dropouts comprise nearly half of the heads of households on welfare and an even higher percentage of the prison population.

The average annual cost of maintaining a prisoner is at least three times higher than the annual monetary fund expended to educate a school-age child (Greenberger, E. and Steinberg, L. (2003)).

This cost does not take into

consideration the costs of adjudicating the crimes that sent these dropouts to prison and the monetary and personal costs of the crimes themselves. The personal costs of dropping out include earning only half as much annual income as a high school graduate by the time prime working age is reached, while the likelihood of living in poverty is nearly three times higher for high school dropouts than for those who finished high school. The following students are at risk of dropping out due to too much absenteeism in their classes. Students with poor academic performance are the single strongest predictor of dropping out of school. This is also interlinked with too many absences from class. Andrea Canter, a School Head of the Minneapolis Schools (2014) said that poor grades, low test scores and poor performance task ratings may increase student frustration and reduce motivation to stay in school and strive for higher education. Additionally, retention in the same grade level is highly related to dropping out of school due to too many days of absenteeism. Moreover, some research indicates that retained students are three times more likely to dropout that those who are non-retained students. Another consequence of student absenteeism is behavioral problems. Students who drop out are more likely to have a history of serious behavioral

problems that those who complete high school, and this history may be traces back from their primary grade levels wherein teachers do not address these behavioral problems, instead, the teachers promote the elementary pupils from their elementary grade levels to “pass on the burden” to the secondary level teachers. A case in point is what is happening in the Public Schools in the Philippines wherein, the teachers may not have targeted or corrected the behavioral problems of their students in the fear that these students, when retained will be their (teachers’) burdens again (Batingal, 2014). School Dropouts have higher rates of chronic truancy and tardiness than those who stay in school. Attendance problems can be an early indicator that the student is disengaging from the schooling process Gausted, Joan (1991). According to Canter (2014), daily school attendance reflects both student motivation and parental support.

Descriptions of Related Attendance Programs OHSP (Open High School Program). The Open High School Program is a program that caters to the need of those who want to finish high school but prevented by employment, poverty, physical handicap and other reasons. Through modular instructions, students are not required to report duty in school. They are given modules to work at home and are required to report once a week. (http://www.depedmakati.org/ohss)

Review of Related Studies In a study made by Malik, Ladhani and Bhamani (2003) in Karachi India, they examined continual student tardiness within an urban middle school in Karachi. The primary aim of the study was to improve the punctuality of identified middle school students by providing them with rewards and incentive on the observation of each decrease in their tardiness. In addition to their findings, they have developed a new intervention program which focuses on facilitating and transforming the behavior of the parents and teachers towards student tardiness in the school. Malik, Ladhani and Bhamani, Faculty, Department of Education, Institute of Business Management devised an intervention which lasted for six weeks. The strategy they devised is a “motivation-based” encouragement to learners who frequently miss out on their classes and commit too many absences for the whole school year. After the weeks of intervention the post test was carried out using the similar measures. The data included observations in two phases; pre-intervention observation and a post-intervention observation by reviewing the attendance register. The results revealed a significant change in the students’ tardiness in the school post intervention. The findings of the said study highlight the importance of a

relationship

between

institutional

practices

of

reward

and

behavior

modification in students. In a study conducted by Suhid, Asmawati, Aroff, Abdul Rahman Md. Ph. D. and Kamal, Norlaina, (2012), one of the members of the Faculty of Educational Studies in Universiti Putra Malaysia, who studied about “Factors Causing Student Absenteeism According to Peers, there are many factors involved in motivating students to attend school. Students who are not motivated, hence, will usually decide not to be present in school. Based on several researches conducted, the rate of absenteeism among students increases annually in the Universiti Putra Malaysia. As a result, this problem more or less adversely affected the school’s reputation. Thus, their study was conducted to identify factors that cause students to play truant. A set of questionnaire was used to collect the information needed. The quantitative data was analyzed using Statistics Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to obtain descriptive statistics indices. The research findings were duly discussed. One of the factors that affected students’ motivation in going to school is indiscipline, according to the findings of the study of Suhid, Asmawati, Aroff, Abdul Rahman Md. Ph. D. and Kamal, Norlaina, (2012). Indiscipline among students is a perennial problem. One common discipline problem found globally is truancy. Davies and Lee (2006) found that school children in the United Kingdom are inclined not to go to school or choose not to attend certain

classes during the school hours. Truancy also occurs among Malaysian students, and according to Ee Ah Meng (2003), it has become a social moral issue. Indeed, what is of concern is that the spread of the truancy problem has given rise to various moral and social problems among students. This cannot be treated lightly, because in Malaysia it has been reported that truancy nearly tops the list of acts of misbehavior among students. Indeed, Circular 6/1995 of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Malaysia stated explicitly that truancy was, and stiil is, a behavior that violates school rules. Various papers have reported cases of Malaysian school children involved in truancy. This problem of absenteeism is regardless of gender, race and religion. The act of truancy among students occurs when there is an attitude problem among students towards schooling to seek knowledge. Based on the records of MOE, a total of 24,840 students in 2006 and 21,060 in 2007, were found to have committed truancy. Of the eight types of discipline problems listed by MOE, truancy was then ranked second highest after ‘lack of politeness’. Other discipline problems were actions that are criminal in nature, time wasting, personal neatness, delinquency, vandalism and obscenity. The issue is students who stay away from school without permission will not only be left behind in the learning process, but worse still they will probably end up in drug abuse, gangsterism, alcohol consumption, free sex, gambling and loitering. Certainly, playing truant

is a discipline problem, and where do these truants go to and what they do during the time of their absence from school are related concerns. There are many factors why children stay away from school without permission. In Malaysia, these factors include influence of peers (Mohd. Shubari, 2000; Suseladevy, 2004), fear of being bullied, fear of teachers, dislike of certain subjects, thinking that they will fail (Thi, 1994; Supramaniam, 1986), no encouragement from parents or family problems (Mohamad Yatim, 1999), and the school factor (Hussein, 1993; Tan, 2006). All of these factors have resulted in students having no motivation to learn, therefore they turn their attention to hang around at other places or loitering. Research findings have also shown that students who do not support and participate in any school programs or activities are those who are not interested to be in school (She, 2002). This study has attempted to revisit and identify factors contributing to the act of truancy. This study is probably quite unique in Malaysia as it did not focus on students who skip school. Instead, this study explored the perceptions of students regarding the reason their truant friends were not motivated to attend school or why they were absent from certain classes. Local Studies on Factors Affecting Students’ Absenteeism Another study conducted by Gonzaga, Mhizelie Jave F. (2009) in Agusan National High School, entitled “The Effect of Absenteeism to school and Individual Learning Performances among Third Year Science High Students of

Agusan National High School: Basis for a Conference Dialogue”, where there is a majority of the student respondents who are females or 20 individuals or the 56% of the Third year High School Students in the said National High School. Findings to this study show that for the effect of absenteeism to student individual learning performance, both teacher and student population agreed that students perform fairly in class even if they go through regular truancy. In this certain study by Gonzaga, et.al. (2009) there is a recognizable fact that in a total of 34.39 at a verbal description of Fair and at a total standard deviation of 15.04 at a verbal description of Good the students look at absenteeism as a factor that fairly hinders the quality of education the students can have since they are absent.

This conclusion is not so far to what the teachers have

perceived. At a total mean of 30.00 at a verbal description of fair and a total standard deviation of 14.41 at verbal description of Good, the teachers also sees absenteeism as not good nor too bad for a students learning performance. Evidently, the social relation with classmates has the highest in mean which means that outside influences may be one of the factors that greatly affect student participation and attendance. Due to the said statement from Gonzaga, et.al (2009), a line of judgment can be drawn that a student who commits absenteeism is sought to be still socially connected with his fellow student. In their study, Gonzaga et. At. observed that the student respondents

who commit to such habit of being absent from class have low performances in summative exams and major performance tasks. As a summary to the study of Gonzaga et.al. (2009) for the teacher’s comprehensive result, the students’ scores in quizzes and variation on abilities have a total mean of 2.36 with a verbal description of fair. And that indicator 4 and 9 got the peak of the lowest that had a total mean of 1.71 at a description of fair each. It can then be derived from the results that the teachers sees a great difference in the techniques of coping up and speed of analysis and comprehension of a student who commits to regular truancy. Factors Affecting Absenteeism A Study conducted by Melchora Batingal, School Principal of Rufino Rodriguez on Maigo National High School’s Student Attendance Problems In the same study conducted by School Principal Melchora Batingal (2013-2014), a former faculty member of Maigo National High School (currently the School Head of Rufino Rodriguez Elementary School), findings show that the prevalent causes of absenteeism among High School or Secondary students of Maigo National High School are as follows: 1. Health Issues/ Sicknesses 2. Waking up Late (Time Management Issues) 3. Noise inside the Classroom (Classroom-related/Classroom Environment)

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Parents asking them to be absent Pre-Occupation with household chores Dental Problems No money to buy snacks in school Bullying/ Students get bullied by classmates or schoolmates. Teacher Factor- Behavior of teachers that could cause students to shun school than regularly attending class.

The primary factor that causes the chronic absenteeism of the studentrespondents of the study conducted by Batingal (2014) is Health Issues. Flu and fever are the leading culprits in this category. Oral health, which according to the Department of Education is the main reason why pupils or students are absent, is just one of the least reasons cited in the said category by the students studying in Maigo National High School for the school year 2013-2014 and as shown in the result of the survey done by the herein mentioned researcher. Mrs. Batingal also emphasized in her study that one of the topmost factors why students are being absent or commit too many absences is because their (students’) parents ask them be to be absent due to the foregoing reasons: a. parents need their help in attending to the needs of their younger siblings, b. parents work far from their homes and the students are the ones who are taking care of their siblings to help their parents, c. their parents have to tell their children to be absent for the latter to help them work for them to have sustenance,

d. their parents have negative view on education (parents tell their children “no one will get rich in going to school, no job will be given to their children after studying, and going to school will only complicate their financial situation.), e. parents sent their children somewhere far from school to have these children to work in their relatives’ houses, and f. students voluntarily submit themselves to work in urban areas in the hope that they can have better lives if they work than for them to have finished their studies. Therefore, based on these facts from the study of Batingal, family plays a great factor in motivating their children to study, hence, parents should, according to the recommendations of this study, be educated with the good effects of having a complete higher education. Classroom atmosphere, personal attitude, teacher factor and homerelated reasons gained higher frequency rating in the study of Batingal (2014). There were some certain questions that lead to the answer as to whether or not the student participants of the study are pleased with their teachers, the physical arrangement and time management skills of participants. Based on the findings of the study, the student-participants were not so much encouraged with their teachers because of their teachers’ negative behaviors. The least reason they give is related to their physical environment of the classroom.

Teachers’ Behavior May affect Student Participation in Class

Students’ contracts influence teacher attendance from the classroom. The teachers’ attendance has a positive and negative effect on interested students achieve. How students absences influences their teachers’-students’ relationship. Teacher and student absenteeism affect the student test score performance base on extensive data collection effect, conducted by authors. It presents an economic analysis using data from over 700 school district in New York State 1986-1987. It includes that provisions plays a big rule like (the number of unused leave day by teacher will accumulate and “cash in” at retirement may simultaneously bathetic in teachers and student (Pitkoff, 1993). Teachers who maid and received low performance making tend to miss a larger number of days than those who did not. Teachers with marks do not feel a connection to the workplace and believe they are ineffective in the classroom. This gives an impetus for school administration to develop teachers’ growth plan early in the academic years for low performing teachers than the later in year (Pitkoff, 1993). To prevent and correct serious attendance problems, schools need to change the way they structured improves the quality of the courses and intensity interpersonal relationship between teachers and students (Epstein and Sheldon, 2002).

Chapter III Research Methods This Chapter provides information on the research methods used to arrive at results. The researcher chooses a Survey Method wherein she will be handing out questionnaires to the Student- Participants of the study and they will be answering the questions in the said questionnaire. The answers of the student-participants will determine the certain factors that affect student absenteeism in Maigo National High School and the alarming status of the same student participants who commit more that twenty (20%) percent of absences for the whole School Year. The Random Sampling Technique is utilized for the measurement procedures. The Survey Instrument has been designed using Likert Scale to measure student-participants’ responses on the factors that affect absenteeism among select Grade 7 students in Maigo National High School. The Data Collection and Data Analysis (or Interpretation) will be presented in this Chapter.

Research Design The aim of the survey is to obtain pertinent data to achieve the research objective which is determining the topmost reasons for students committing too

many absences. The site of the study is Maigo National High School where the Grade 7 student participants are currently enrolled. Representative samples were taken using a random sampling approach. In this research study, the critical determination of the major factors that affect student absenteeism in school was made. The responses, observation and approval of the student participants towards the questions in the questionnaire will be evaluated.

Research Locale The research locale is Maigo National High School, located in Purok 5, Labu-ay, Maigo, Lanao del Norte. Maigo National High School teaches students in grades seventh through tenth in Maigo, Lanao Del Norte of Northern Mindanao (Region X). The school has 22 instructional rooms and 4 noninstructional rooms, which are all powered by a power grid. With 1,082 students, class size is around 52 students. Claudia G. Burgonia is in charge of the school, acting as the school's Principal. For the 2013-14 school year, Maigo National High School had 1,082 students enrolled. This makes the school a big school, with 832 more students than the average school and 816 more students than the average school in Maigo. The school has an almost equal number of male and female students. This is unlike the average gender breakdown in Maigo, which sees on average 0.8 female students per male.

Maigo has a total of 26 rooms - 21 of which are actively in use for instructional purposes and 4 for non-instructional uses. Some 13 new more classrooms are still being built to cater more students (current estimates of Grade 11 enrollees reach to more or less 300 students to enroll in the different Technical Vocational Tracks offered in Maigo National High School) expected for the full implementation of the K+ 12 Program of the Department of Education. All in all, the school has at least one canteen, clinic, computer lab, general academic classroom, laboratory, library, and office. Of the instructional rooms, all of them are standard rooms, meaning they meet the DepEd's guidelines for safety and usability.

With 1,082 (as of 2013- 2014) and 1,140 as of 2015-2016, students and 21 rooms actively used for teaching, Maigo has an average class size of 52. This puts Maigo's classes on the larger side, as the school has 16 more students per class than the average of all schools, and 14 more students per class than the average in Maigo, Lanao Del Norte.

There are 41 teachers and 12 Administrative Assistants who are employed in Maigo National High School. Due to the abrupt rise of enrollees, and that is from 1,082 in 2014 to 1,140 in the year 2015, these faculty members or teaching staff will have an increase in number for the next two

years. This is due to the full implementation of the K +12 Program in Maigo National High School. According to Ms. Wendy Labastilla, the teacher in charge for the survey of enrollees and the updates of these facts, there are already 400 students who will be enrolling in Maigo National High School for this School Year, from the previous enrollment rate which is more or less 300 students for Grade 7. Moreover, due to the addition of the Senior High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM and General Academics Strands or the GAS, it is expected that the number of Grade 12 students will relatively be increasing in number.

There are eight teachers handling the Grade 7 sections. These sections are, Grade 7 Gold, Diamond, Silver, Pearl, Sapphire, Amethyst, Emerald and Jade. The total population for Grade 7 is 355. For Grade 7 Gold, there are 15 males and 30 females for a total of 45 students. For Grade 7 Diamond, there are 22 Males and 21 females for a total of 43 students. Grade 7 Amethyst, on the other hand has 23 males and 20 females for a total of 43 students. Grade 7 Sapphire has an enrollee number of 20 females and 29 males for a total of 49 for this section. For Grade 7 Emerald, there are 38 male students and 18 female students. For Section Jade, there are 20 male students and 18 female students, for a total of 38 students. Grade 7 Pearl has 18 male students and 24

female students, for a total of 42 students.

Grade 7 Silver has 38 male

students and 18 female students for a total of 46 students in this section.

Since the researcher of this study mainly aims to pick out the main factors of absenteeism among Grade 7 students, then the proponent only tackles about the number of participants who are in Grade 7 only. However, the researcher will only pick out via random sampling, 65 of the 355 students from Grade 7.

Figure 2 shows the exact location of Maigo in the Philippine Map. Photo courtesy

of

Nothern

Mindanao

Regional

Development

Report

2011,

from:

http://nro10.neda.gov.ph/downloads/plans/RDR_2011.pdf The figure above shows the geographic location of Maigo and its nearby Municipalities. The Municipality of Maigo has a College where the students who graduated from Maigo National High School can enroll to and that College is the Mindanao State University- Maigo School of Arts and Trade or MSU- MSAT as an acronym.

Participants In this study, the chosen student- participants will be from Grade 7 sections that will be randomly selected. In Grade 7 Emerald, there are 49 students; 29 of whom are identified as chronic absentees. In Grade 7 Amethyst, there are a total of 43; 15 of whom are considered absentees because their

attendances reflect that they are having more than the allowed and excused absences. Grade 7 Diamond has 42 students; 10 of whom are chronic absentees based on the data from the School Form 1. Grade 7 Sapphire students reached a total of 49 and 15 are always absent from class and reportedly, their adviser said that most of their students are only present when they are releases of monetary funds from the 4Ps. Interview questions will focus on the research problems and questions. Special Case of Absenteeism: Ronilo Layasan, Jr., a Boxer and Student Ronilo Layasan Jr. is a Grade 10 section Mahogany student of Maigo National High School. He is a 3-time boxing Champion at the age of 17 (current age) and he will be having a set of bouts in April for the National Boxing Team Competition. He started training for boxing competitions when he was in the Elementary. Ronilo Layasan Jr. is a student who comes from a family with minimal financial resources to support his studies. His father merely makes a living and his mother is a housewife but this economic status is not a hindrance to his success. He studies hard and does good in school even when he is absent from class for a series of boxing trainings. His subject teachers of Maigo National High School gives him (Ronilo) Modules to read and take home exams for him while bringing honor to Maigo High (this is how locals call Maigo National High School). This is a special case of success. Ronilo Layasan, although absent from class for two (2) weeks every bout while training for

boxing competitions, is an example that even if there are other things he has to do. Ronilo, whenever he has a boxing competition to join in, still manages to answer the Learning Modules that the teachers from Maigo High send him. He also has good grades as a result of studying hard. Teachers of Ronilo sometimes tracks his achievements and they are amazed

with the results

because he can top summative tests and major exams more than those who regularly come to school. Although Ronilo has already been absent, he still manages to go to school whenever he has no bouts to be training for. This is a manifestation that absenteeism cannot affect the academic performance of students if only they have the determination and drive to succeed in their studies.

Sampling Procedure All of these participants were selected through random sampling. This sampling method is conducted where each member of the Grade 7 population has an equal opportunity to become part of the sample. As all members of the population have an equal chance of becoming a research participant, this is said to be the most efficient sampling procedure for this study. In order to conduct this sampling strategy, the researcher defined the population first, listed down all the members of the population, and then selected members to

make

the

random

sample.

For

this

purpose,

a

standardized

survey

questionnaire in Likert format will be given to the student-participants to answer. The questions in the questionnaire will be translated in the vernacular (Cebuano) to arrive at reliable and realistic answers from the studentparticipants. Herein, there will be sixty (60) participants for the questionnaire survey and five (5) individuals for the interviews; 65 participants all in all. The questionnaires will be given on February 3 for the student participants to answer. The respondents will be given 2 days to complete the survey questionnaire upon request. After collecting the questionnaires, the responses will be tallied, computed, analyzed, and recorded. One the other hand, for the personal interviews, most of the interviewees will be given time according to their convenience. Choices will be given for the interviewees who will answer the interview questions, through phone, email, online conversation, chat or personal interview. In this study, the researcher will have in-depth interview with the students who commit absenteeism more frequently and also talk to the parents of these said student-participants. There will only be five participants who will answer the questions from the standardized questionnaire. They (the student participants) should be able to express their ideas and experiences in the most convenient way that they should.

Scoring Procedure All of the 65 Grade VII students (from sections Diamond, Sapphire, Amethyst and Emerald) will be asked to complete a questionnaire. They will be rated through various situations, reasons, and causes for being absent from school. All of the data will then be organized, tallied, tabulated, and presented in a series of tables and graphs. Frequency counts, percentage weight values and weighted mean will be used in the analysis and interpretation of data.

It should be noted that the questionnaire will be given to students in their native dialect to increase the chance of accurate responses.

Figures will be rounded signify classification of responses. The measure of central tendency, specifically the mean, will be used to determine the average value of response or response average of the students.

Data Gathering Procedure and Treatment of Data The study used standardized questionnaire as the main tool in collecting data from a large number of student- participants. The responses on the causes of absenteeism of the student participants will be analyzed using a fivepoint Likert scale with the following equivalent:

 1. never  2. rarely  3. sometimes

 4. very often  5. Always For the Part III of the questionnaire which is the “Effects of Absenteeism in Students in their Learning Performance”, the researcher uses the descriptors 5- Excellent, 4- Very Good, 3- Good, 2- Fair, and 1-Poor. The advisers and subject teachers will be the ones who will rate their students based on their academic performance of their students (whether or not they commit absenteeism). Below is the standardized questionnaire that will be used in this study. The student-participant will be answering the questions to determine which among the factors rate highest and which among the factors can be possibly addressed by the School Administration. The results of this survey will help in analyzing the possible solutions to the current problem of absenteeism among Grade 7 students in Maigo National High School.

Survey Questionnaires Sample Questionnaire Dear Respondent, Please answer the questionnaire truthfully. Read the questionnaire carefully and follow the instructions in answering the questionnaires. Thank you very much for your cooperation with the researcher. Rest assured that the data in this questionnaire will not be divulged as every answer and your identity are considered highly confidential. Yours truly, Mrs. Alleli Faith P. Leyritana Researcher PART I Instruction: On the “gender” write F if female and M if male on the space provided. On the “age” write you corresponding age. On the Section: please indicate the section you are currently enrolled in. GENDER: __________

SECTION:__________

AGE: ___________

Part II. The Common Causes of Absenteeism

Instruction: Put a check mark ( ) on the corresponding number that rates the common causes of absenteeism when he is regularly absent on the blank provided. LEGEND: 5 – Always

4 - Very

often

3 – sometimes

2 - rarely

Very Always Sometimes Rarely Often (5) (3) (2) (4) A. Physical Factor 1. Our house is far from the school. 2. It is unsafe to go to school. 3. Nobody accompanies me in going to school since it is far. B. Health 1. I have a toothache. 2. My stomach hurts. 3. I have a headache 4. I'm down with fever/flu. 5. I have other diseases

1 – never

Never (1)

0

0

0

0

0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Very Always Sometimes Rarely Often (5) (3) (2) (4)

Never (1)

like diarrhea, etc.

C. Personal Attitude 1. I am not interested in my studies. 2. I feel lazy. 3. My friends influence me to be absent from my classes. 4. I can't concentrate in my studies. 5. I didn't wake up early. 6. I did not study/make my assignments the night before. 7. I got fond of playing computer games. D. Teacher-Related Factors 1. My teacher scolded me. 2. I can't understand my teacher's lessons. 3. I don't like my teacher. E. Classroom atmosphere 1.Our classroom is hot and uncomfortable. 2. It's noisy inside our classroom. 3. A classmate/classmates

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Very Always Sometimes Rarely Often (5) (3) (2) (4) bully me. 4. I have no friends in our class. F. Home-Related Factors 1. My parents ask me to be absent from class. 2. My parents quarreled. 3. My parents don't care about my studies. 4. I'm too pre-occupied with household chores. 5. I have no money to buy snacks in school. 6. We have no food/I did not eat.

Never (1)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Part III. Effect of Absenteeism in Students Learning Performance Instruction: Put the corresponding number that rates the students learning performance in specific fields when he is regularly absent on the blank provided. LEGEND: 5 – EXCELLENT

4 - VERY GOOD

3 - GOOD

_______ The students participation to oral discussions _______ Performance in group works. _______ Scores in Quizzes _______ Techniques in coping up _______ Social relation with Teachers _______ Social relations with classmates _______ Contribution to lesson application _______ General Average _______ Speed of analysis and comprehension

2 - FAIR

1 - POOR

Chapter IV Interpretation of the Summary of Findings Below is a chart of the frequency of responses made by the respondents of this study. Another table shows the level of performance of the respondents in the academic aspect. For the second table, the teachers/ advisers will fill up their assessment on the students’ (who are always absent) academic performance.

Frequency of Responses Table 1 Very Always SometimesRarelyNever Often (5) (3) (2) (1) (4) A. Physical Factor 1. Our house is far from the school. 2. It is unsafe to go to school. 3. Nobody accompanies me in going to school since

0

0

1

0

59

0

0

1

0

59

0

0

0

0

60

Very Always SometimesRarelyNever Often (5) (3) (2) (1) (4) it is far. B. Health 1. I have a toothache. 2. My stomach hurts. 3. I have a headache 4. I'm down with fever/flu. 5. I have other diseases like diarrhea, etc. C. Personal Attitude 1. I am not interested in my studies. 2. I feel lazy. 3. My friends influence me to be absent from my classes. 4. I can't concentrate in my studies. 5. I didn't wake up early. 6. I did not study/make my assignments the night before. 7. I got fond of playing computer games. D. Teacher-Related Factors 1. My teacher scolded me. 2. I can't understand my teacher's lessons. 3. I don't like my teacher. E. Classroom atmosphere 1.Our classroom is hot and uncomfortable. 2. It's noisy inside our

0 0 0

2 0 1

8 10 14

4 4 9

46 46 36

0

5

22

25

8

0

1

9

15

35

0

0

0

0

60

0

0

5

6

49

0

0

2

1

57

0

0

9

9

42

0

5

16

8

31

0

2

5

7

46

0

1

5

0

54

0

1

6

7

46

0

0

7

5

48

0

0

0

0

60

0

0

4

1

55

4

5

6

3

42

Very Always SometimesRarelyNever Often (5) (3) (2) (1) (4) classroom. 3. A classmate/classmate s bully me. 4. I have no friends in our class. F. Home-Related Factors 1. My parents ask me to be absent from class. 2. My parents quarreled. 3. My parents don't care about my studies. 4. I'm too preoccupied with household chores. 5. I have no money to buy snacks in school. 6. We have no food/I did not eat.

0

1

8

4

47

0

0

0

0

60

0

0

10

11

39

0

0

2

1

57

0

0

1

1

58

1

3

5

5

47

0

1

8

4

47

0

0

7

4

59

Table 2 Instructions: Rate the respondents’ (Students who are always absent) Learning/ Academic Performance by putting a check on the number which corresponds to the performance of the respondents. Students Learning/ Academic Performance

5–

4– VERY

EXCELLEN

3-

2-

GOOD

FAIR

1– POOR

GOOD T

√

The students participation to oral discussions

√

Performance in group works.

√ √ √ √

Scores in Quizzes Techniques in coping up Social relation with Teachers Social relations with classmates Contribution to lesson application General Average

√ √

Speed of analysis and comprehension

√

Findings A. Physical Factors Among the items cited, the distance of their house to the school and the danger posed by walking to the school has the same response average, or a mean of 1.04. This means that both are not reasons for them to be absent from school. B. Health Fever/flu is the most common reason of students for being absent. It has the highest response average of 2.4. It is followed by headache, with an average response of 1.67. Other diseases like diarrhea come in third with 1.61 average responses. The least common reason for them for being absent is stomach ache, with 1.39 averages. C. Personal Attitude That the student doesn’t wake up early enough is the most common reason why he/she is absent. This account for 1.91 mean. Another reason commonly cited is that they can’t concentrate on their studies and that they were not able to study their lessons. This resulted from 1.45 and 1.37 mean respectively. Feeling lazy and playing computer games also keep them away from school. The former has a response average of 1.26 while the latter has 1.22. D. Teacher-related When the students are scolded for their bad behavior by the teacher, this tends to make them be absent from their classes. It has the highest average response

of 1.38 while the reason that they can’t understand their lessons follow close behind with 1.32 mean. E. Classroom Atmosphere The highest mean of 1.77 was accorded to noise inside the classroom which means that this is the primary reason why they tend to be truant. Bullying by fellow students follows with 1.39 response average. F. Home-related Students who say their parents asked them to be absent resulted in the highest mean of 1.52. Household chores come second with a response average of 1.47. The other reasons ranged from 1.08 to 1.39, including not having money to spend for snacks and other small expenses in school, no breakfast/food, and that their parents quarreled. The response average or the mean was computed by multiplying the percentage of responses by the equivalent value of each frequency and then adding them all. e.g.(5 x 0%) + (4 x 3%) + (3 x 13%) + (2 x 7%) + (1 x 77%) = 1.42 For the second table, the teachers were able to assess the learning performance of the student respondents. All eight (8) Subject Teachers responded that the student-respondents had poor academic performance because of their chronic absenteeism.

Chapter V Conclusions, Recommendations and Suggestions Conclusions 

Among all the causes presented, health is the primary reason why students are absent from their classes. Flu or fever is the leading culprit in this category. Oral health, which according to the Department of Education is the main reason why students are absent, ranks only third among the reasons cited by the responding students.



Classroom atmosphere, personal attitude, teacher factor and homerelated reasons follow in that order. The least reason they give is related to their physical environment.

Of all the factors/categories cited, the top 10 reasons of student absenteeism are as follows: 1) Flu/fever 2) Can’t wake up early 3) Noise inside the classroom 4) Headache

5) Other diseases such as diarrhea 6) Parents asking them to be absent 7) Preoccupation with household chores 8.3) Toothache 8.3) No money to buy snacks in school 8.3) Bullied by a classmate/classmates 9) Teachers are scolding me Recommendations In order to limit or eliminate absenteeism, it is recommended that educators: 7. 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. 8. Ensure that classroom atmosphere is conducive to learning. Noisereduction 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. 9. 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. 10. Refrain from scolding misbehaving pupils. As much as possible, remind them of their wrong doing in a most diplomatic manner. Selfcontrol should be a virtue which the teacher should practice in the course of her teaching everyday of the school week. 11. 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. 12. 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.