Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
One of the most annoying experiences for teachers like me is when students
are absent. We prepare lesson plans with the objective that 100% of the class will learn
from the day’s classroom activities, and it is most satisfying when all students are
present on that day and the days thereafter to ensure maximum learning.
Sadly, it is very difficult to achieve perfect attendance. No matter how
interesting and well-prepared my lessons and teaching materials are, there are bound
to be students who miss out on the day’s activities—willingly or unwillingly.
I would like to minimize this problem, if not eradicate it completely. That is
why I conducted a case study to understand them better. I wanted a more accurate
analysis of why some of my students are perennial absentees, so I could formulate
plans, projects, and programs to minimize their absences. I hope that it also enlightens
you. Even if you are not an educator, you may be able to help a student to stay in
school.
To begin with, there is a section in Grade seven which is classified as the last
section in Strengthened Technical Vocational Education Program (Grade 7 STVEP-D)
class and handles the students who are known to encounter learning difficulties and
are sometimes have learning deficiency.
Frequency of Responses
Always Very Sometimes
Rarely (2) Never (1)
(5) Often (4) (3)
Physical
Factor
1. Our house is far
0 0 1 0 46
from the school.
2. It is unsafe to go to
0 0 1 0 46
school.
3. Nobody 0 0 0 0 47
Always Very Sometimes
Rarely (2) Never (1)
(5) Often (4) (3)
accompanies me in
going to school since it
is far.
Health
1. I have a toothache. 0 2 8 4 33
2. My stomach hurts. 0 0 10 4 33
3. I have a headache 0 1 14 9 23
4. I'm down with
0 5 15 22 5
fever/flu.
5. I have other diseases
0 1 9 15 22
like diarrhea, etc.
Personal
Attitude
1. I am not interested
0 0 0 0 47
in my studies.
2. I feel lazy. 0 0 5 6 36
3. My friends influence
me to be absent from 0 0 2 1 43
my classes.
4. I can't concentrate
0 0 9 9 29
in my studies.
5. I didn't wake up
0 5 16 8 18
early.
6. I did not study/make
my assignments the 0 1 5 0 41
night before.
7. I got fond of playing
0 1 5 0 41
computer games.
Teacher-
Related
Factors
1. My teacher scolded
0 1 6 7 33
me.
2. I can't understand
0 0 7 5 35
my teacher's lessons.
3. I don't like my
0 0 0 0 47
teacher.
Classroom
Atmosphere
1. Our classroom is
0 0 4 1 42
hot and uncomfortable.
2. It's noisy inside our
4 5 6 3 29
classroom.
3. A
classmate/classmates 0 1 8 4 34
bully me.
4. I have no friends in
0 0 0 0 47
our class.
F. Home-Related
Factors
Always Very Sometimes
Rarely (2) Never (1)
(5) Often (4) (3)
1. My parents ask me
to be absent from 0 0 10 11 26
class.
2. My parents
0 0 2 1 44
quarreled.
3. My parents don't
0 0 1 1 45
care about my studies.
4. I'm too pre-occupied
1 3 5 5 33
with household chores.
5. I have no money to
0 1 8 4 34
buy snacks in school.
6. We have no food/I
0 0 7 4 36
did not eat.
V. Conclusion
Every day’s lesson is very important crucial and pre requisite for tomorrow’s
lesson. Students who are absent in a certain day, especially since they are in lowest
section have encounters difficulty in processing the missed concept and is less capable
of adopting new concepts.
Students who are absent show less interest in the topics that they have missed
unless the teacher repeat or give addition to activities for them to catch up. Students
who have absences most likely give less or below the passing score of the test given.
Students who are absent have less focus than those who are present the day the
lesson is/ are introduced.
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 reason why pupils are
absent, is just third among the reasons cited by the responding students.
Classroom atmosphere, personal attitude, teacher factor and home-related
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
9.) Toothache
10.) No money to buy snacks in school
11.) Bullied by a classmate/classmates
There are a lot of factors that our students show low performances in our
classroom activities. But one of the reasons that they gain such performance is because
of their absences. Student’s absences are mostly unavoidable when they do it because
they are sick. But the effect of their absences can be lessening through various
activities that the teacher will provide to them the day return in school again.
Learning of the students who absent 2-3 consecutive days are greatly affected
and their test results are dragging them down. Based from the research, grade 7
STVEP- D performances are most affected when they absent the certain day because
they easily; post track on the flow of the lesson.
There are many activities the teacher could do for them to catch up with the
lessen and those activities are conduct feeding program, tutoring and remedial
teaching, enhance learning through the use of cooperative learning activities and most
lastly provide them accommodating and safe environment to learn.
VI. Recommendation
But the most disturbing thing is that habitually absent students eventually drop
out of my class. This happens to all my colleagues. We do our best to prevent drop-
outs, but it is beyond our control. We can only hope that these students will come back
the next year, change their ways, and that that whatever was hindering their studies is
behind them.
Republic of the Philippines
Region XII
SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL
E.J.C. Montilla, Tacurong City
GRADE 7 STVEP-D
ABSENTEEISM IN SCHOOL
Case Study
Requirements in Educ. 602
(Philosophies and Theories of Education)
Presented by:
EDNA N. QUINILOG
MAT- Filipino
Presented to:
Prof. Celia R. Peralta Ph.D
INSTRUCTRESS