FACTORS OF ABSENTEEISM

THAT AFFECTS ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE OF GRADE 10
STUDENTS IN AGUINALDO
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
YEAR 2022-2023
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. ABSTRACT i
II. CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
a. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
b. HYPOTHESIS
c. REVIEW OR RELATED LITERATURE
III. CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY
IV. CHAPTER III: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
V. CONCLUSION
VI. RECOMMENDATIONS
VII. REFERENCE
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the factors of absenteeism that affects academic
performance of grade 10 students in a typical public high school. 30 students are randomly
chosen to be surveyed of the equal item among 101 grade 10 students coming from 2 sections.
The survey questionnaire was conducted and consisted of 6 corresponding factors for
absenteeism such as physical factor, health factor, personal attitude, teacher-related,
classroom atmosphere, and home-related factors.
The survey questionnaire was adapted, developed, pilot-tested, and validated by
researcher of Baliuag University (2010) and questionnaire from calaméo.com by Tintangel.
The collected data were analyzed using the percentage data analysis/ descriptive
statistics like percentage frequency distribution. The findings of the study revealed that being
lazy to wake up early, peers’ influences in personal attitude, classmate’s vibe, uncomfortable in
school in classroom atmosphere, sickness in personal situation in health factor, being pre-
occupied by household chores in home-related factor, being scolded by teacher in teacher-
related factors, and by weather situation, being unsafe in school in physical factor.
Personal attitude as the highest agreed and has more percentage of factor in not
attending the classes. Also, the most prevalent factors that affects the absenteeism of students
that also affects their academic performance were followed by classroom atmosphere, health
factor, home-related factors, teacher-related factors, and the physical factor. While teacher and
physical factors are not considered as major reasons of student absenteeism in school.

i
Introduction
Absenteeism is one of the major and continuous issues in the field of academic in the
country. It has a big impact on the learning of the students because the larger the number of
absences the students acquire, the lesser lessons the students would be able to attend in class.
This would also mean that there would be lesser and disconnected concepts of learning. The
students who are regularly absent have a great probability to drop the school at early age and
will not continue schooling and this might lead unemployment, low average incomes, and
poverty in the country.
The recent survey of the Department of Education in the Philippines indicated that one
out of ten children is considered as a constant absent in school. The rate of students’ absences
is 4.5% quite high and increasing, and is highly observable in middle schools (Cepada & Grepon,
2020). Moreover, the study of Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) indicates that
the numbers of drop out school are more inclined to boys as compared to girls. In 2017, about
65 % of boys aged 5-17 years were classified as Out-Of-School Children (OOSC). In the manner,
the rate of Out-Of-Schoolboys reached at 8% as compared to the rate of Out-Of-Schoolgirls
which is 3% in the lower secondary level with the age bracket from 12-15 years old (Gonzales,
2019).
School absenteeism is now a worsening and continuing problem in the secondary school
(Demir & Akman-Karabeyoglu, 2015; Reinchenberg & Lofgren, 2019). A noticeable problem
especially in public schools is that those students who belong to the lower sections acquire
more absences than those who belong to higher sections. Students in pilot section tend to
attend the class and grade conscious as compared to the students in lower section, leading to
frequent attendance rather than missing school. Reasons for not attending and becoming
disinterested in school come from the lack of interest and motivation of the learners, and the
lack of desire of parents to send their kids to school. Malcolm (2003, as cited in Cepada and
Grepon, 2020) viewed the absenteeism as an indirect variable which cause a building gap
between the learners and the teachers.
There were several factors and reasons to consider that the were not willing to attend
the school. These factors include conflict in physical factor, health factor, personal attitude,
teacher-related factors, classroom atmosphere, and home-related factors. Furthermore,
Pehlivan (2006, as cited in Demir and Akman-Karabeyoglu, 2015) revealed the reason for the
non-attendance of students in school including the lack of expectations on the subject, they
were bored, and the lessons were not being aligned to their interests.
 1
With this, the study aimed to consolidate the different factors of absenteeism that affects
academic performances in a public high school. In addition, it aimed to determine the factor of
students’ absenteeism affecting their academic performances that are very common in a public
high school. In sequence, this would help the teachers and school staff to understand the
students’ reason for being absent, through it they can make and come up with a solution,
strategy, and plan of action to entice the students to attend classes. Moreover, stipulation of
the possible effective solution and preventive measures/ strategies to minimize absenteeism of
students and give educators opportunity to know and how to refine the students’ attendance.
Academic performance is considered as an important aspect of education. It shows the
learnings of the students in every subject. Whether they understand or not, academic works
allows every student to see and observe if their knowledge improve. Besides, academic
performance permit students to challenge and develop their mastery.
However, several studies that was conducted about academic performance shows that
it is affected by various factors such as conflict in the family, health emergency, inability to maintain
the everyday expenses, weather disturbances, use of alcohol, and unavailability of transportation .

Thus, this research aims to identify the factors of absenteeism affecting academic
performance of grade 10 junior high students in Aguinaldo National High School, Lupao, Jacmal,
Aguinaldo, Ifugao.

Statement of the problem

The factors that the researcher want to identify with the relation to students’
absenteeism affects academic performance includes:

 Physical factor
 Health factors
 Personal attitude
 Classroom atmosphere
 Home-related factors
 Teacher-related factors

2
Some question that the researcher wants to answer are the following:
1. Gender of the respondents:
2. What is the common factor/s of absenteeism that affect academic performance?
3. Does sex/gender relate to factors of absenteeism?
4. Does personal attitude have much impact about absenteeism?
5. Does a students’ physical condition add to the reason of factors of absenteeism?
6. Does absenteeism really affect students’ academic performance?

Hypothesis
The factors such as physical, health, personal attitude, teacher-related, classroom
atmosphere, and home-related affect the students’ academic achievement or performance
through absenteeism.

Review of Related Literature

According to Moore, Armstrong, and Pearson (2008), the reasons associated with the
lecture absenteeism among student groups could shed significant light on student motivation
levels and orientations in university settings. Paying attention to the rationales for lecture
absence provided by students themselves could also help institution to diagnose levels of
students’ engagement a respond in appropriate ways.
More than 1 in 5 K-12 Oregon students missed about a month or more of school each
school year 1-3 chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of school days in a school
year for any reason, includes all absences-excused and unexcused. The number of students
missing a month or more of school days increases to nearly 1 in 3 for children of color, and
children in special education. In the 2009-10 schoolyear, low-income students were nearly
twice as like to be absent from school in primary grades, and 50% more likely to be absent in
high school. Oregon cannot meet its achievement gap, without addressing chronic absenteeism
(Henderson, Hill, & Norton, 2014).
According to Kearney (2003), over decades of study, problematic school absenteeism in
youths has been associated with diverse terms as truancy, psychoneurotic truancy, school
refusal, school phobia, and separation anxiety. Unfortunately, such disparity has led to lack of
consensus regarding definition, assessment, and treatment for this population. This is especially
problematic given that school absenteeism and dropout remain at crisis proportions.
 There are many factors 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. As a result, this
problem will more or less adversely affect the school’s reputation. Thus this study is conducted
to identify factors that cause students to play truant (Suhid et al.,2012).
Policy and practice have charged forward with emphasizing the necessity to reduce
school absenteeism in the fall (i.e., Attendance Awareness Month). However, no empirical basis
to bolster these efforts. Using district data, the findings suggested spring absences were
associated with lower testing performance, with the most critical period being the 30-day
window leading up to the test.
This study illustrates that most is at stake for student test performance by missing
school in the days and months leading up to the test date and that different support systems
are needed to address subgroups of student (Gottfried & Kirskey, 2017).

Academic performance
Academic achievement/performance is where you can see what did the student learn
from school. According to Oxford dictionary, academic achievement represents performance
outcomes that indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were
the focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in school college, and
university.

Significance
Academic performance of a student provides the general background of how a student
is progressing. It also represents the amount of knowledge and skills developed by students
according to oxford dictionary.

Student absenteeism
Student absenteeism is defined as the period of not attending to school. It also refers to
the persistent absences from work, school, meeting and the likes. According to Lannegrand-
Willems et al. (2012), when a child miss some of the classes or not present at the school with or
without a valid excuse, it falls on absenteeism. When a student has not attended school for a
long period of time, they are classified as truant or absentee. In this manner, the constant
absence of students abstains the opportunity to learn, hence, the learning process is
interrupted.
 The attendance of the students in school is one variable that affect the students’ academic
performance and may not attain the success of life. One study of Gottfried (2010) revealed that
academic achievement and school attendance has a positive relationship in attaining high
scores in the chosen field or course. When students were absent, it may lead to academic
failure and other possible risk factors (Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012, as cited in Demir & Akman-
Karabeyoglu, 2015).

Factors of absenteeism
Reason, why students do not attend to class, can be the cause of physical, health,
personal attitude, classroom atmosphere, home-related, and teacher-related factors.
In the study of Clark (2008, as cited in Demir and Akman-Karabeyoglu, 2015), it was
found out that nonattendees generally fall behind their peers in academic achievements and
development of social competence. As students move up to the higher levels, challenges and
problems are more likely to surface causing them to be frustrated and would cause them to
escape in the form of skipping and not attending classes, and the worst, drop out of school.

Physical factor is related to laziness, for safety assurance seemed to be it on the choice
of student if he/she will let it be the reason for absenteeism.
Health factor plays an important role to us, everything we feel, the pain we’re suffering
builds the reason for being absent it’s based to the person selecting its own choice.
Personal attitude is mostly the reason of waking up late for school schedule, even work
schedule, and it makes someone to think it’s better to be absent.
Teacher-related factors like being scolded, the lesson is hard which the teacher is
making the students learn it makes students commit absenting.
Classroom atmosphere connected to self-comfort within the classroom. Classmates’
manners do have connection to absenting of a student.
Family comes first before self, home-related factors which are confidential and private,
and is exclusive only to family belongs to absenteeism factors.
 Those factors are all personal reason and personally rated and based on a person’s own
reason.

Methodology
Research design
To attain the purpose of the study, the survey method of research will be used to
determine the factors of absenteeism that affects academic performances of grade 10 students.

A survey method since it focuses to collect most data possible to support its reasoning.
The practice or gathering data for study by asking people questions related to our research.

Respondent of the study

The respondents of the study will be the 30,14 male & 16 female Grade 10 students of
Aguinaldo National High School (ANHS) who are currently enrolled for S.Y.2022-2023.

Research instruments
The researcher will adapt questionnaire from calaméo.com by Tintagel and Baliuag
University to collect data needed for the study.

Data collection
The adapted questionnaire that will be used to gather the answers needed in the study,
will be distributed to all respondents.

Statistical treatment
The researcher will use descriptive statistics like percentage frequency distribution to
interpret the data to be gathered.

Data Analysis:
The data for the factors affecting absenteeism that also affects academic performance
were organized in the tables to be determine what factors is prevailing in school that affects
achievements.
The data was determined with the use of percentage frequency distribution and usual
descriptive statistical measures, the top 6 factors were totally counted in the frequency liker
scale.
 A piece of additional information or background was included by observation of a
researcher regarding to the title of the research to respondents on how they respond
answering the given survey questionnaire.

Sample:
The sample size is number 30 out of total population which was 101.
The sample is 29.70% with the unserveyed 70.30%.

Research Ethics:
In this research, researcher was maintained level ethical standards of research. Data
was collected through the prior permission of respondents, and the purpose of study was not
kept hide from respondents. Furthermore, it was determined to respondents that the data will
not use for any unfair means.

Analysis of Demographic Data:

Gender:
The research which is conducted in ANHS main with 30 participants. Among them, male
and female were 14and 16. Male made up 46.67%of respondents, and female 53.33%. Female
respondents are more than male respondents. The gender analysis of respondents is depicted
below.

Figure 1: Percentage of 14 male, 16

female, with the total of 30.

GENDER
Female

Male
53.33%. 46.67%
Table 1: Total frequency percentage of
respondents.
Gender Frequency Percentage
(%)
Male 14 46.67
Female 16 53.33
Total 30 100%
Table 2: Gender- Male_14

Factors Physical Health Personal Teacher- Classroom Home- Total Percentage

factor factor attitude related atmosphere related %
Frequency
Always 16 7 16 9 14 5 67 20.74%
Sometimes 17 25 31 21 17 24 135 41.80%
Never 9 23 26 12 26 25 121 37.46%
Total 42 55 73 42 57 54 323
Percentage 13% 17.03% 22.60% 13% 17.65% 16.72% 100%

Table 3: Gender- Female_16

Factors Physical Health Personal Teacher- Classroom Home- Total Percentage

factor factor attitude related atmosphere related %
Frequency
Always 13 0 8 2 11 0 34 9.37%
Sometimes 22 33 39 18 18 13 143 39.39%
Never 12 29 39 27 33 46 186 51.24%
Total 47 69 86 47 62 59 363
Percentage 12.95% 17.08% 23.69% 12.95% 17.08% 16.25% 100%

Table 4: Gender- Male and Female_30

Factors Physical Health Personal Teacher- Classroom Home- Total Percentage

factor factor attitude related atmosphere related %
Frequency
Always 29 7 24 11 25 5 101 14.73%
Sometimes 39 58 70 39 35 37 278 40.52%
Never 21 52 65 39 59 71 307 44.75%
Total 89 117 159 89 119 113 686
Percentage 12.97% 17.06% 23.18% 12.97% 17.34% 16.47% 100%
Results and Discussion

The liker scale: frequency of never is the highest according to female survey which
is 51.24%. The second is the sometimes frequency which is 39.39% and the one lowest is the
always frequency with the percentage of 9.37%.If the basis will be about the factors according
to female survey the sequential form in descending order personal have the highest percentage
that is 23.69% . Health and classroom factor get same percentage of 17.08%. The next is home
factors with the percentage of 16.25%. The factors of physical and teacher have the same total
amount of percentage 12.95%.

While according to the male survey the one that has the highest percentage is sometimes
frequency having a percentage of 41.80 % .
While the never frequency gets 37.46%.And the lowest percentage gets 20.74% which is the
always frequency. With the 6 factors presented as the basis , to a male the one that got more
percentage is personal factor (table 1),second is the classroom factor that get 17.65%, followed
by health factor 17.03%, home factor 16.72%and physical factor is similar to teacher-related
factor having a 13%.
Basing from the gathered survey data according to gender a male have more the
probability to be absent as to be based from the table 2 and table 3 .
Though, if the total data of the two gender combines it provides that never has the
highest percentage. While the factor the probability that a male will be absent is more than a
female.
Both the gender have the personal factors as their most common factor for
absenteeism.
Basing from the gathered data students physical condition doesn't really add to the fact
of absenteeism like teacher-related factors compared to personal attitude.
Students being absent do really affects students’ academic performance from being left
behind, not accomplishing given activities that makes them have to comply for them to take
examination and for them to have a passing marks.
While we're having the survey as a researcher, I observed that some grade 10 students
can hardly understand the question they, need to be guided means they’re being lack of
reading comprehension due to being absent in school as a result for having less than the 8
hours supposed to be spend for studying.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusion were drawn. First, the study
showed that the students in public high school may not attend classes with the following
factors:
Personal attitude in students’ peers’ influence, self-discipline like waking up late allied to
the factor of absenteeism, being a disciplined student is important because waking up late
affects academic performance of grade 10 students;
Home-related factors like household chores, issues within the family, and parents’
influence add to the factors of absenteeism;
Health factors like being sick, having fever, stomachache, toothache, and etc. makes a
student be absent. Health is indeed playing important role to any person because it affects its
performance;
Being comfortable in the classroom makes a student stay for study, also, students’
classmates doing like bullying affects the attendance in studying.
Second, on the study, the most widespread factors that affects absenteeism and also
affects students’ academic performance are personal attitude, health factors, home-related
factors, and classroom atmosphere as to be seen in table 4.
This study on the other hand teacher-related and physical factors got the lowest
percentage when the data from male and female combines, similar when it will be calculated
separately. Therefore, those ae not considered as the most common factors of absenteeism
that usually affect students’ performance.
Gender of female and male actually have differences when it comes to school
attendance, female usually have the lower percentage of being absent in school. While, male
have more probability / percentage to be absent.
Recommendations
In this regard, based on the results of the research, the following are suggestions for the
next researcher with the same title:
1. When having a survey use tally method for gathering data easily.
2. Use liker scale to write the results easily and use descriptive method for you to use
percentage.
3. Be more specific with your questions, it should be answerable by yes or no, or the
frequency scale.
4. Write and encode the best questionnaire for the title, and for the respondents to
understand.
5. Gather more data for the title, add more factors of absenteeism with clear explanation
6. While having a survey /distributing the adapted questionnaire explain it well to the
respondents.

Recommendations for the solution of absenteeism:

1. The school must strictly implement NO LATE and NO ABSENTEEISM when there’s no
genuine reason.
2. For student: be wise for choosing a friend.
3. No absenteeism unless emergency.
4. Do not make any other activities that will make the students be overload with it.
5. school facilities must be complete for the student to be comfortable within their
classroom.