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Teacher Absenteeism: Engaging a District to Understand Why It Happens and What It Means

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The Impact of Teacher Absenteeism on Student Performance

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priyanka haldwani

Christine Harris-Van Keuren

International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education

Anthony Nyangarika

This study investigates the effect of absenteeism of teachers in public secondary schools on students’ academic performance. Primary data was obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire which has both open and closed-ended questions; while secondary data was obtained through journal and books. The study was conducted in the Tandahimba district Mtwara region. The district has a population of 227,514 people (URT, 2013). The study findings show that we can see clearly how teacher absence affects students’ academic performance. On the other hand, this problem culminates in the differential performance of students who come from different levels of backgrounds. The study concludes that poor students in most cases underperform due to lack of money to pay for the extra lessons and the rich ones have the opportunity to pay for the extra lessons to compensate for the lost lessons in their schools due to teacher absenteeism.

Journal of Applied Knowledge and Research

Rev. George K W A S I Agbenyegah

Teacher absenteeism has a wide and influential effect on a country's educational system. High levels of absenteeism negatively impact student achievement, tarnishes the school reputation, contributes to the decline of the profession and precipitates in turn student absenteeism. UWEZO (2011), reported that widespread teacher absenteeism is generally acknowledged as a major obstacle to the effective and sustainable improvements of the country's education system.The report further highlighted that high rates of teacher absenteeism makes it is difficult for children to learn consistently and build on their skills throughout the school year.The general objective of the study is to examine the effects of teacher absenteeism on academic performance of students in the Oyibi Presbyterian School in Kpong Kantamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA). The study was descriptive study in nature. It employed both qualitative and quantitative approach methods. The total population for the study in the Oyibi Presbyterian Junior High School is 204. This population comprises both the teachers and the students. There are 18 teachers and 186 students. The analyses involved the use of tables, graphs and charts. The findings from this study have revealed that teachers' absenteeism is caused by a number of factors including family and social responsibilities; poor work conditions; poor health and lack of accommodation. The study has also revealed the extent to which teachers' absenteeism affects syllabus coverage in schools and assessed teachers' absenteeism affects students' academic performance in schools.The main recommendation of the study was that teachers should be highly motivated by providing incentives to increase regular attendance, revising absenteeism-conducive policies, and promoting a positive work environment.

Cadernos de Pesquisa

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The article describes the phenomenon of absenteeism among municipal teachers in the city of São Paulo and seeks to understand how education professionals view teacher nonattendance and organize to face this problem in schools. Based on a bibliographic review, a statistical descriptive analysis was conducted with variables related to public servant absences and the profile of professionals in the teacher workforce. In addition, the results collected through interviews in twenty school units were analyzed. The study recommends for improvements to be outlined in teachers’ working conditions, aiming particularly to reduce the excessive number of students per classroom, raise wage levels in order to prevent accumulation of positions, and invest in the teaching career so as to make it more attractive.

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The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors impacting student absenteeism.

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IJAR Indexing

Teacher work productivity is a determining factor for the success of education quality because teachers face directly with students in providing guidance that will produce professional graduates. This research purposes to analyze the effect absenteeism on teacher work productivity. The design of this research used path analysis with quantitative approaches and survey methods. This research was conducted in Bekasi, Indonesia. The technique of data collection in this research is a questionnaire method, which is distributed question to 198 civil servant teacherassamples, it was taken from teacher Senior High School on Bekasi. It was a population of 394 teachers. The sample of this research was selected using Slovin formula also it was taken a simple random sampling. The results of this research showed that there was a negative effect of absenteeism on the teacher work productivity in senior high schools, with value r = -0.427 and p = -0.250. However, from all absenteeism indicators, it was found that the indicator of failure in completing the task based on the schedule which is the most role in the absenteeism variable (34.14%)in influencing teacher work productivity. Other implications are also discussed in this article. The implications of the results of the research will be directed at efforts to increase work productivity through.

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Teacher Absenteeism in South Africa

A National and International Perspective

• Reference work entry
• First Online: 23 February 2021
• Cite this reference work entry

• Keshni Bipath 2 &
• Linda Naidoo 2  

Part of the book series: Global Education Systems ((GES))

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1 Citations

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Teacher absenteeism is a huge concern both internationally and nationally. There have been many studies regarding the reasons teachers get absent and the impact this has on student achievement, among other factors. In South Africa, for instance, the provision of education at all levels is a serious challenge and compels attention. This is exacerbated by high rates of teacher absenteeism. The reasons cited for absenteeism and its effects, it is argued, need to be disseminated more directly to both educators and departments of education so that they inform progress in educational planning and management to counter the resulting dysfunctionality of schools. This chapter offers some understanding, through qualitative enquiry, of what teacher absenteeism is and why it manifests. It presents insights and observations, with statistics, from a selected group of international sites and South Africa, and what effects absenteeism has overall. The chapter includes recommendations and action from different countries, the key one for South Africa being more effective management of teacher absenteeism.

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Keshni Bipath & Linda Naidoo

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Bipath, K., Naidoo, L. (2021). Teacher Absenteeism in South Africa. In: Adeyemo, K.S. (eds) The Education Systems of Africa. Global Education Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44217-0_54

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How to Reduce Student Absenteeism

Readers discuss the reasons for the spike since the pandemic and how to lure students back.

​Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere

The pandemic changed families’ lives and the culture of education: “Our relationship with school became optional.”

To the Editor:

“ Pandemic Effect: Absence From Schools Is Soaring ” (front page, March 30) highlights the persistent challenge of chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools. If pandemic-related “cultural shifts” are among the factors keeping students away from school, bringing them back may require us to rethink the culture of education itself.

Despite the efforts of many visionary educators, too many schools still offer a deskbound, test- and compliance-driven experience that leaves students passive, uninspired and flat-out bored.

Over the last two years, a pilot program in Salem, Mass. , has succeeded in cutting chronic absenteeism among middle schoolers in half by listening to students and designing learning with their interests in mind, including regular field trips, hands-on projects and mentoring with college students. Today, the chronic absenteeism rate among the pilot cohort of seventh and eighth graders hovers at 8 percent, in no small part because students don’t want to miss what’s on offer at school.

Educators can reset school culture by being adaptive, believing in teacher leadership and recognizing that powerful learning can happen outside classroom walls. Unlike the use of Band-Aids and gimmickry that do not result in long-term change, valuing a philosophy of “education everywhere,” as Salem has embraced, will result in improved attendance and academic growth.

Stephen Hinds Laura Tavares Stephen Zrike Chelsea Banks Mr. Hinds is president and Ms. Tavares is executive director of the WPS Institute, an education nonprofit. Dr. Zrike is superintendent and Ms. Banks is dean of innovation for Salem Public Schools.

This article brings light to an issue plaguing school districts across the country. As a former classroom teacher, I remember talking with students who returned to school after being absent. They would ask for the work they missed. While I could share the assignment, I could not possibly share the rest of what they missed, including the social and academic interaction with their peers, the instruction provided, the opportunity to ask questions while working through material and being part of a community.

When done right, school is more than a collection of assignments. It is a vibrant social fabric that provides a culture of belonging, and opportunities to grow and explore with trusted adults guiding the way.

The solution to the absenteeism problem is not easy. As the chief education officer at Mikva Challenge, a group that works to engage young people in the civic process and have their voices part of critical decision making affecting their lives, I know that for any solution to be successful, it must involve youth in the process.

Our default as adults is to make decisions in the best interest of children, without asking them what they think and whether an idea will work. Young people are not apathetic; they are uninvited. They care deeply about the issues that affect them. And when they are engaged in decision making, policy is better.

Jill Bass Chicago

We had mixed feelings when reading “Pandemic Effect: Absence From Schools Is Soaring.” On the one hand, it’s important for the public to understand that chronic absenteeism in America is no small problem. On the other hand, the article unwittingly minimized the deep struggle so many families experience, particularly those from underresourced backgrounds.

You quote a researcher who stated, “The problem got worse for everybody in the same proportional way,” but we question whether this accurately reflects the reality in America today. Based on our own and others’ research, we believe that families who struggled before the pandemic were much more vulnerable to its effects.

We cannot ignore just how much deeper Covid affected communities of color, communities with risk factors, communities in poverty and communities in rural areas. This does not negate anyone’s struggles; yet the struggle has been disproportionate. This cannot be ignored.

Zahava L. Friedman Keri Giordano Hillside, N.J. Dr. Friedman is an assistant professor and Dr. Giordano is an associate professor at the College of Health Professions and Human Services, Kean University.

My 12-year-old son has been absent from school most of this year and is a part of the chronic absenteeism statistics cited in the article. His attendance was excellent until he caught Covid twice in one year from school. He was 9 years old and has been chronically ill ever since.

It is shocking to me that the article never suggests that some absenteeism might be due to chronic illness from Covid.

One recent study suggested that as many as 5.8 million kids in the United States have had their health affected by long Covid. These statistics are highly contested, but given how reluctant our doctors have been to diagnose or treat our child for something that they cannot measure with any blood test, it is not surprising that we do not really know the full extent of this disease.

My child, and many other children like him, cannot go to school because they are struggling with the persistent life-altering symptoms of chronic illness. These children want to go back to school. Don’t leave them out of the story.

Sarah Mathis Pleasanton, Calif.

The root causes of chronic absenteeism in American public schools are as varied as the solutions needed to combat it. One often overlooked and underfunded strategy with the potential to re-engage students in learning is arts education.

A 2021 study on the benefits of arts instruction in the Boston Public Schools showed that increased access to arts education reduced student absenteeism, with a greater impact on students who had been chronically absent.

BPS Arts Expansion is a public-private partnership that has dramatically expanded access to quality arts education throughout the school district and enabled longitudinal research on its impact.

No one strategy will be the panacea for chronic absenteeism. But as districts across the country grapple with this issue, expanding access to in-school arts instruction warrants attention.

Marinell Rousmaniere Boston The writer is the president and C.E.O. of EdVestors, a nonprofit school improvement organization.

Read our research on: Gun Policy | International Conflict | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

What’s it like to be a teacher in america today, public k-12 teachers are stressed about their jobs and few are optimistic about the future of education; many say poverty, absenteeism and mental health are major problems at their school.

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand the views and experiences of public K-12 school teachers. The analysis in this report is based on an online survey of 2,531 U.S. public K-12 teachers conducted from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14, 2023. The teachers surveyed are members of RAND’s American Teacher Panel, a nationally representative panel of public K-12 school teachers recruited through MDR Education. Survey data is weighted to state and national teacher characteristics to account for differences in sampling and response to ensure they are representative of the target population.

Here are the questions used for this report , along with responses, and the survey methodology .

Low-poverty , medium-poverty and high-poverty schools are based on the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (less than 40%, 40%-59% and 60% or more, respectively).

Secondary schools include both middle schools and high schools.

All references to party affiliation include those who lean toward that party. Republicans include those who identify as Republicans and those who say they lean toward the Republican Party. Democrats include those who identify as Democrats and those who say they lean toward the Democratic Party.

Public K-12 schools in the United States face a host of challenges these days – from teacher shortages to the lingering effects of COVID-19 learning loss to political battles over curriculum .

In the midst of all this, teachers express low levels of satisfaction with their jobs. In fact, they’re much less satisfied than U.S. workers overall.

Here’s how public K-12 teachers are feeling about their jobs:

• 77% say their job is frequently stressful.
• 68% say it’s overwhelming.
• 70% say their school is understaffed.
• 52% say they would not advise a young person starting out today to become a teacher.

When it comes to how their students are doing in school, teachers are relatively downbeat about both academic performance and behavior.

Here’s how public K-12 teachers rate academic performance and behavior at their school:

• 48% say the academic performance of most students at their school is fair or poor. A third say it’s good, and only 17% describe it as excellent or very good.
• 49% say the behavior of most students at their school is fair or poor; 35% say it’s good and 13% say it’s excellent or very good.

The COVID-19 pandemic likely compounded these issues. About eight-in-ten teachers (among those who have been teaching for at least a year) say the lasting impact of the pandemic on students’ behavior, academic performance and emotional well-being has been very or somewhat negative.

Assessments of student performance and behavior differ widely by school poverty level. 1 Teachers in high-poverty schools have a much more negative outlook. But feelings of stress and dissatisfaction among teachers are fairly universal, regardless of where they teach.

Related: What Public K-12 Teachers Want Americans To Know About Teaching

As they navigate these challenges, teachers don’t feel they’re getting the support or reinforcement they need from parents.

Majorities of teachers say parents are doing too little when it comes to holding their children accountable if they misbehave in school, helping them with their schoolwork and ensuring their attendance.

Teachers in high- and medium-poverty schools are more likely than those in low-poverty schools to say parents are doing too little in each of these areas.

These findings are based on a survey of 2,531 U.S. public K-12 teachers conducted Oct. 17-Nov. 14, 2023, using the RAND American Teacher Panel. 2 The survey looks at the following aspects of teachers’ experiences:

• Teachers’ job satisfaction (Chapter 1)
• How teachers manage their workload (Chapter 2)
• Problems students are facing at public K-12 schools (Chapter 3)
• Challenges in the classroom (Chapter 4)
• Teachers’ views of parent involvement (Chapter 5)
• Teachers’ views on the state of public K-12 education (Chapter 6)

Problems students are facing

We asked teachers about some of the challenges students at their school are facing. Three problems topped the list:

• Poverty (53% say this is a major problem among students who attend their school)
• Chronic absenteeism (49%)
• Anxiety and depression (48%)

Chronic absenteeism (that is, students missing a substantial number of school days) is a particular challenge at high schools, with 61% of high school teachers saying this is a major problem where they teach. By comparison, 46% of middle school teachers and 43% of elementary school teachers say the same.

Anxiety and depression are viewed as a more serious problem at the secondary school level: 69% of high school teachers and 57% of middle school teachers say this is a major problem among their students, compared with 29% of elementary school teachers.

Fewer teachers (20%) view bullying as a major problem at their school, though the share is significantly higher among middle school teachers (34%).

A look inside the classroom

We also asked teachers how things are going in their classroom and specifically about some of the issues that may get in the way of teaching.

• 47% of teachers say students showing little or no interest in learning is a major problem in their classroom. The share rises to 58% among high school teachers.
• 33% say students being distracted by their cellphones is a major problem. This is particularly an issue for high school teachers, with 72% saying this is a major problem.
• About one-in-five teachers say students getting up and walking around when they’re not supposed to and being disrespectful toward them (21% each) are major problems. Teachers in elementary and middle schools are more likely than those in high schools to see these as challenges.

A majority of teachers (68%) say they’ve experienced verbal abuse from a student – such as being yelled at or threatened. Some 21% say this happens at least a few times a month.

Physical violence is less common. Even so, 40% of teachers say a student has been violent toward them , with 9% saying this happens at least a few times a month.

About two-thirds of teachers (66%) say that the current discipline practices at their school are very or somewhat mild. Only 2% say the discipline practices at their school are very or somewhat harsh, while 31% say they are neither harsh nor mild. Most teachers (67%) say teachers themselves don’t have enough influence in determining discipline practices at their school.

Behavioral issues and mental health challenges

In addition to their teaching duties, a majority of teachers (58%) say they have to address behavioral issues in their classroom every day. About three-in-ten teachers (28%) say they have to help students with mental health challenges daily.

In each of these areas, elementary and middle school teachers are more likely than those at the high school level to say they do these things on a daily basis.

And teachers in high-poverty schools are more likely than those in medium- and low-poverty schools to say they deal with these issues each day.

Cellphone policies and enforcement

Most teachers (82%) say their school or district has policies regarding cellphone use in the classroom.

Of those, 56% say these policies are at least somewhat easy to enforce, 30% say they’re difficult to enforce, and 14% say they’re neither easy nor difficult to enforce.

Experiences with cellphone policies vary widely across school levels. High school teachers (60%) are much more likely than middle school (30%) and elementary school teachers (12%) to say the policies are difficult to enforce (among those who say their school or district has a cellphone policy).

How teachers are experiencing their jobs

Thinking about the various aspects of their jobs, teachers are most satisfied with their relationship with other teachers at their school (71% are extremely or very satisfied).

They’re least satisfied with how much they’re paid – only 15% are extremely or very satisfied with their pay, while 51% are not too or not at all satisfied.

Among teachers who don’t plan to retire or stop working this year, 29% say it’s at least somewhat likely they will look for a new job in the 2023-24 school year. Within that group, 40% say they would look for a job outside of education, 29% say they’d seek a non-teaching job in education, and only 18% say they’d look for a teaching job at another public K-12 school.

Do teachers find their work fulfilling and enjoyable?

Overall, 56% of teachers say they find their job to be fulfilling extremely often or often; 53% say their job is enjoyable. These are significantly lower than the shares who say their job is frequently stressful (77%) or overwhelming (68%).

Positive experiences are more common among newer teachers. Two-thirds of those who’ve been teaching less than six years say their work is fulfilling extremely often or often, and 62% of this group says their work is frequently enjoyable.

Teachers with longer tenures are somewhat less likely to feel this way. For example, 48% of those who’ve been teaching for six to 10 years say their work is frequently enjoyable.

Balancing the workload

Most teachers (84%) say there’s not enough time during their regular work hours to do tasks like grading, lesson planning, paperwork and answering work emails.

Among those who feel this way, 81% say simply having too much work is a major reason.

Many also point to having to spend time helping students outside the classroom, performing non-teaching duties like lunch duty, and covering other teachers’ classrooms as at least minor reasons they don’t have enough time to get all their work done.

A majority of teachers (54%) say it’s very or somewhat difficult for them to balance work and their personal life. About one-in-four (26%) say it’s very or somewhat easy for them to balance these things, and 20% say it’s neither easy nor difficult.

Among teachers, women are more likely than men to say work-life balance is difficult for them (57% vs. 43%). Women teachers are also more likely to say they often find their job stressful or overwhelming.

How teachers view the education system

A large majority of teachers (82%) say the overall state of public K-12 education has gotten worse in the past five years.

And very few are optimistic about the next five years: Only 20% of teachers say public K-12 education will be a lot or somewhat better five years from now. A narrow majority (53%) say it will be worse.

Among teachers who think things have gotten worse in recent years, majorities say the current political climate (60%) and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (57%) are major reasons. A sizable share (46%) also point to changes in the availability of funding and resources.

Related:  About half of Americans say public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction

Which political party do teachers trust more to deal with educational challenges?

On balance, more teachers say they trust the Democratic Party than say they trust the Republican Party to do a better job handling key issues facing the K-12 education system. But three-in-ten or more across the following issues say they don’t trust either party:

• Shaping school curriculum (42% say they trust neither party)
• Ensuring teachers have adequate pay and benefits (35%)
• Making schools safer (35%)
• Ensuring adequate funding for schools (33%)
• Ensuring all students have equal access to high-quality K-12 education (31%)

A majority of public K-12 teachers (58%) identify or lean toward the Democratic Party. This is higher than the share among the general public (47%).

• Poverty levels are based on the percentage of students in the school who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. ↩
• For details, refer to the Methodology section of the report. ↩
• Urban, suburban and rural schools are based on the location of the school as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (rural includes town). Definitions match those used by the U.S. Census Bureau. ↩

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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Be Careful About What You Publish

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To the Editor:

I am a retired public school science teacher who taught in a district north of Cincinnati for 32 years. I am a lifetime member of the Ohio Education Association-Retired and the National Education Association-Retired. When I was active in the classroom, I was a full member of the National Science Teaching Association and participated in their conventions.

This is a totally irresponsible opinion piece and made me want to cancel my subscription immediately (“ Why Educators Often Have It Wrong About Right-Leaning Parents ,” March 4, 2024). As an analytical thinker and science teacher, I wanted you to know why I am shocked by your publication of this anti-public-school trope.

During my career, I was ambushed by activists at “Meet the Teachers” night who wanted to know my views on the Big Bang Theory. Our conservative school board directed all science teachers to write and submit their views on evolution. Life science teachers had to attend a professional development session on how we could read Bible passages while teaching evolution. I was verbally excoriated in the hallway by a parent who believed my teaching about pollution’s impact on health and the environment was scaring kids about chemicals. I have been given books to read that counter mainstream views about environmental issues and copies of texts relating all science to the will of God. A responsible science teacher cannot meet such people in the middle—they are flat out wrong and not calling them out further undermines the public’s faith in the great science being done in our country.

By publishing an opinion piece that argues educators “have it wrong” about right-leaning parents, you gave tacit endorsement to the dissemination of wrong, misleading, and twisted facts in public education. This is dangerous for our society and the mission of public schools in our democracy. Think about this when you wonder why smart young men and women are not lining up to be science teachers.

Marilyn Fowler Retired Science Teacher Aurora, Ind.

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A version of this article appeared in the April 17, 2024 edition of Education Week as Be Careful About What You Publish

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