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 2015-

2016. 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 students behavior?

3) What is the level of respondents learning performance in terms of:

a) The students 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

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. 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.

4. Refrain from scolding 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.

 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 days activities- willingly or

unwillingly. Absenteeism also affects the teachers 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 students

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 students 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 Haans 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 "de-

motivated 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 Dependent
Variables
Output
Variable 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
Common f. Social
classmates
relations with

g. Contribution to lesson
Causes of application Action
h. General Average
Absenteeism i. Speed of analysis and
Plan
comprehension

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

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) Social relations with classmates
p) Contribution to lesson application
q) General Average
r) 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. never
2. rarely
3. sometimes
4. very often
5. 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 childs regular truancy. Knowing the impact

of absenteeism to their childs 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 or any reason for not attending classes.

Absenteeism is a truant behavior that negatively 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 cant 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 countrys needs because the government has placed a

high proportion of budget going to the education sector. Reportedly, the

Department of Education (DepEd), the countrys 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

countrys 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 students 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 three-

fourths 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 schools 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 teachers

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 Schools 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. Parents asking them to be absent
5. Pre-Occupation with household chores
6. Dental Problems
7. No money to buy snacks in school
8. Bullying/ Students get bullied by classmates or schoolmates.
9. 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 student-

respondents 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 home-

related 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 non-

instructional 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 student-

participants.
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 five-

point 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 1 never

Very
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
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 0 0 0 0 0
since it is far.
B. Health
1. I have a toothache. 0 0 0 0 0
2. My stomach hurts. 0 0 0 0 0
3. I have a headache 0 0 0 0 0
4. I'm down with
0 0 0 0 0
fever/flu.
5. I have other diseases 0 0 0 0 0
 Very
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
Often
(5) (3) (2) (1)
(4)
like diarrhea, etc.

C. Personal Attitude
1. I am not interested in
0 0 0 0 0
my studies.
2. I feel lazy. 0 0 0 0 0
3. My friends influence
me to be absent from 0 0 0 0 0
my classes.
4. I can't concentrate in
0 0 0 0 0
my studies.
5. I didn't wake up
0 0 0 0 0
early.
6. I did not study/make
my assignments the 0 0 0 0 0
night before.
7. I got fond of playing
0 0 0 0 0
computer games.
D. Teacher-Related
Factors
1. My teacher scolded
0 0 0 0 0
me.
2. I can't understand
0 0 0 0 0
my teacher's lessons.
3. I don't like my
0 0 0 0 0
teacher.
E. Classroom
atmosphere
1.Our classroom is hot
0 0 0 0 0
and uncomfortable.
2. It's noisy inside our
0 0 0 0 0
classroom.
3. A 0 0 0 0 0
classmate/classmates
 Very
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
Often
(5) (3) (2) (1)
(4)
bully me.
4. I have no friends in
0 0 0 0 0
our class.
F. Home-Related
Factors
1. My parents ask me to
0 0 0 0 0
be absent from class.
2. My parents
0 0 0 0 0
quarreled.

3. My parents don't care 0 0 0 0 0

about my studies.
4. I'm too pre-occupied
0 0 0 0 0
with household chores.
5. I have no money to
0 0 0 0 0
buy snacks in school.
6. We have no food/I did
0 0 0 0 0
not eat.

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 2 - FAIR 1 - POOR

_______ 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
 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
0 0 1 0 59
from the school.
2. It is unsafe to go to
0 0 1 0 59
school.
3. Nobody 0 0 0 0 60
accompanies me in
going to school since
 Very
Always SometimesRarelyNever
Often
(5) (3) (2) (1)
(4)
it is far.
B. Health
1. I have a toothache. 0 2 8 4 46
2. My stomach hurts. 0 0 10 4 46
3. I have a headache 0 1 14 9 36
4. I'm down with
0 5 22 25 8
fever/flu.
5. I have other
diseases like 0 1 9 15 35
diarrhea, etc.
C. Personal Attitude
1. I am not interested
0 0 0 0 60
in my studies.
2. I feel lazy. 0 0 5 6 49
3. My friends
influence me to be
0 0 2 1 57
absent from my
classes.
4. I can't concentrate
0 0 9 9 42
in my studies.
5. I didn't wake up
0 5 16 8 31
early.
6. I did not
study/make my
0 2 5 7 46
assignments the night
before.
7. I got fond of
playing computer 0 1 5 0 54
games.
D. Teacher-Related
Factors
1. My teacher
0 1 6 7 46
scolded me.
2. I can't understand
0 0 7 5 48
my teacher's lessons.
3. I don't like my
0 0 0 0 60
teacher.
E. Classroom
atmosphere
1.Our classroom is
hot and 0 0 4 1 55
uncomfortable.
2. It's noisy inside our 4 5 6 3 42
 Very
Always SometimesRarelyNever
Often
(5) (3) (2) (1)
(4)
classroom.
3. A
classmate/classmate 0 1 8 4 47
s bully me.
4. I have no friends in
0 0 0 0 60
our class.
F. Home-Related
Factors
1. My parents ask me
to be absent from 0 0 10 11 39
class.
2. My parents
0 0 2 1 57
quarreled.
3. My parents don't
care about my 0 0 1 1 58
studies.
4. I'm too pre-
occupied with 1 3 5 5 47
household chores.
5. I have no money to
0 1 8 4 47
buy snacks in school.
6. We have no food/I
0 0 7 4 59
did not eat.

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 3- 2- 1

VERY POOR
EXCELLEN GOOD FAIR
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 doesnt 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 cant 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 cant 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 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) Cant 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. 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.
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. Self-

control 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.