CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Presented in this chapter is the following information needed for this study that

supports the evaluation and better understanding of abesenteeism.

There are factors that negatively affect the learning progression and performance

of the student, absenteeism is one high factor. its undeniable that this behaviour is

the one unavoidable habits of a student, especially in senior level. Ever since

education become compulsory and free absenteeism has been the major problem of

every nation schools. Researchers from different field and country, continues to

study this problem in order to provide effective strategies and solution to reduce

absenteeism.

habitual and unexplained absence from a school or a period of time when a

student does not attend to school (Teasly,2004). it is a major problem in the process

of gaining, knowledge innovation, and skills in achieving the aimed personal and

professional goal, and has a trant behavior that negatively affects the student’s

performance (Keter, 2012).

Students who do not attend schools suffer a loss of learning and intructional, time

leading to poor social and academic achievement (Clores 2009) that causes them to

fall behind their classmates and have a fewer opportunity to learn the material that

will help them to succeed (Sheldon, 2002).

On the other hand, klem and Connell (2004) noted that student who attend

school regularly have a higher academic achievement than students with high

absences, while Devadoss and Foltz (2001) argued that students with low level of
academic achievement than students with were more likely to have a higher rate of

school of absence.

It does not only affect their school performance especially when they are a

group or team work for their assignmenet and projects. Since grouping will help to

develop than student’s cooperative and ability to share a gain knowledge from their

group mates. Likewise, the group mates will also miss the opportunity of gaining

knowledge from the absence students (Koppenhaver, 2003)

Furthermore. Based on a research conducted by Marburger (2001). He states

that the absences create dead, tire some, unpleasant, classroom, environment that

makes students who come to class uncomfortable and the teacher irritable. It also

disturbs the dynamic teaching-learing environment and adversely affects the overall

well-being of a class (Segal, 2008).

However, the issue of absenteeism is complex and covers a range of

behaviours including chronic absenteeism, school refusal and trauncy. According to

a study conducted by Clores (2009), in most countries, attendance to primary and

secondary level of school in compulsory; thus, students who irregularly attend their

classes and demonstrate pattern of chronic absences due to illness and family crises

and exused absence, while a unjistifiable or unexplainable absence or non-

attendance from school with attempt by the students in referred to us trauncy.

There are possible reasons why students engage themselves to absenteeism. It

can be categorized as barriers aversions and disengagement base on the level.

Barriers such as health problems, suffered by the student or family members,

transporation, housing instability, and suspension prevent the student from attending

school (Chang et al, 2008; Hofferth, Reid and Mott, 2001).

 In contrast, factors which fall in the aversion category cause students to feel un

safe or unwelcomed to school (e.gBalfanz and Byrnes, 2012; Chang et al, 2018).

Finally, due to factors related to lack of persistent value or motivation attending

school (e.g Chang et al 2018; Sheldon and Epstein, 2014).

The thought of wherein getting the money for your daily school fees and

allowances is a burden to a student whose parents don’t have a stable income. In a

study conducted by Sheldon (2007), family financial status contributes to student’s

absenteeism. However, when families lack basic resources, have transient housing,

lack reliable transporation or work multiple jobs, they may have difficulty getting their

students to school regularly (Baker, Et al, 2001).

Aside from not getting to school regularly, students experiencing financial

problem/poverty, seek a job to help them sustain and provide their needs. Instead of

focusing to their studies, they spend their time after school, working hard to earn

money. Studenets from low income household miss school for many reasons, this

may including; greateer health issues, transporation problem, or not participation

inearly childhood education (Chang and Romeo, 2008).

Students who come from lower class and low-income families are three times

more likely to miss school than students from middle class family. Along with a family

who have low-income household is considered to be a problem in a way where it

affects a student’s studies where they don’t have enough money to sustain their

needs as a student, this circumstances exist and hinder them to attend their classes

and unfortunately, they will be marked as absent.

The phenomenon of absenteeism can readily be traced to the issue of financial

problem. In general, the lower the family income, the higher the absenteeism rates.
Living in a poor or low-income family greatly increased the chances of being an at-

risk or chronic absentee (Romero anda Lee, 2007).

Majority of Filipinos are poor, given its high population growth and unequal

distribution of income. The disrupting growth and worsening poverty in the

Philippines is mainly rural, althought variable by region deepened by natural

disasters, variables markets and armed conflicts.

Having a trouble relationship or a feud between family members which in turn

leads to tension is one of the factors that influence students to skip class. Family

disorganization and the unmet emotional needs of parents were also cited as a

contributing factors for students missing school (Ford and Sutpen, 1996; Yeide, and

Kobrin, 2009). Unfortunately, when this is the case, children do not have the

influence of an adult to assist with addressing challenging related to attending

school or to help motivate the child to get up and get going in school days.

Furthermore, when a family is not organized, it can affect student’s emotional

aspect which sequel them to experienced sadness and could lead to depression and

that distract them from their studies and causes them to feel discourage and could

no longer inspire them to go at school.

Parent neglect is a common cause of absenteeism. Many parents of absentee do

not value education. Some children are kept at home to work baby sit free school

sibling. Some famiies expect adolescent children to take on caregiver roles for young

children or elder-care (Patnode, Gibbons, and Edmunds, 2018)

Other is prevented from attending school because of problem at home school,

or in their neighbourhood. In addition, students are influence by their parents, on

perceving education as not as an imporant aspect in life, where they would choose

to stay at home, becayse they will be distracted by their family problems, and they

cannot on their studies, as a result they tend to absent.

Absences that are due to student’s discretion happen because the students his or

her parent don’t understand how much attendance matters, the school lacks a strong

culture of attendance, or the students simply wants to do something else (Balfanz

and Byrnes, 2012, p 29). Besides, there are parents that lack of knowledge

regarding attendance which make them think and feel that absenteeism doesn’t

matter, and they are not aware of its consequences.

Moreover, a family who do not have a permanent address would probably

strunggle in some ways, it could also affect the studies of their children where they

would also affect the studies of their children where they would also have to change

or not, a house but also a school. They need to adjust to their new environment and

that could be a great factor which leads them to get tired and choose not to attend

their classes.

According to statement issued by the Psychological Association of the Philippines

(PAP), Bullying is any intentional aggressive behavior done by one or more

individuals, often repeatedly, to a person who is in a weaker position to defend

himself or herself. It can be in the form of physical agression (e g. hitting, pushing),

verbal (using means, hurtful or derogatory taunts and insult on others), harassment

and exertion (damaging belonging; forcing other to ggive allowance; threatening

others to do things relational (rtelling lies, spreading gossip or harmful information)

and cyber bullying (online results, insults, slander, and harassment).

 For some students, they perceived bullying as an act of coolness and superior

through bullying students who been the victim of such behaviour tend to avoid or

skip class without their parent’s knowledge to prevent themselevs from getting into

troubles that may occur. It is found that bulying is the cause of absence, it could be

explained by a variety of factors. One such factors is that the fear or experience of

bullying is causing the student to avoid schools and thus not attend school (Gauker,

2015).

On top of that UNESCO defined physical bullying as the most frequent type of

bullying in many regions, sexual bullying is the second most common in many

regions. Physical bullying is more common among boys, while psychological bullying

is more prevalent among girls, Students who are frequently bullied are more likely to

feel like outsider at school and more than twice as likely to miss school as those who

are not bulied.

When a student failed to attend his or her class, there might be a possibility of

illness that keeping him or her to attend school, Multiple surveys of chronically

absent students have identified health concerns including short-term illness chronic

illness, and medical/dental/mental health appointment as the most frequetly cited

reason for missing school (e.g. Erbestein, Olagundoye, and Hartzog 2015;

HummBrundage,Castillio and Batsche, 2017).

Research evidence reveals a complex relationship between health and academic

achivement (Matingwina, 2017). Poor health not only results from lower educational

attainment, it can also cause educational setbacks and interfere with schooling

(Virginia Common wealth University, 2015). For examples, children with asthma and

other chronic illnesses may experience recurrent absences and difficulty

concentrating in class (Basch, 2010). Students with unmanaged chronic health

conditions (such as asthma) are more likely to miss class because of the symptoms

of their illnesses or because they are receiving medical treatment during school

days(Healthy schools cam;akgn 2019). It does not only affect their learning and

performance, but also their Social interaction between their peers.

Data from variety of sources indicates that children with illnesses, misses more

school than their healthy pierce (Weitzman, 1986), which ma result to poor retention,

school failure, grade retention, poor concentration, and absenteeism (Matingwina,

2017).

Peer group also play a big part in absenteeism. Indeed, even after a long and

tendious day, spending your free time with your peers after class and before going

home is the best part of the day. But on the other hand, some peer group prefers to

spend their time outside the school even during their classes. Bernard (2008)

describes peer group as a member of individuals bound together by purpose or

abilities,

According to Adeola et al (2002) Formation of peer group may occur from each

extensive interaction with other initiate relationship develop and by these contacts

important attitudes and values are formed. The attitude may influence the child’s

academic performance either positively or negativelyy. The negative aspect which

could be detrimental to student’s academic work are the cases of group behaviour

such as trauncy, persistent lateness to school, juvenile delinquency, stealing,

absenteeism from school, disobedience, disregarding school rules and regulation,

laziness and etc.

 Negative peer influence according to one longitudinal study found that students

who were rated by their peers as more popular are more likely to be aggressive and

were also more likely to have a poor attendance (Schwartz, Gorman, Nakamoto, and

Mickay 2006; Farmer et. al. 2003). Student’s self-reported involvement with peers

who displayed delinquent behaviours has been shown to be strongly associated with

higher levels of absenteeism (Henry and Huizinga, 2007).

However, peer group has been shown to have an effect on underage alcohol

abuse, poor school attendance, increased emotional distress and poor school

performance (Crosenoe and Needham, 2004; Harnett, 2007). Also, being overly

addicted to online or computer games is one of the factors that may influence by

their peers. If you noticed, most of them are men who were influenced by peers or

influence their peers to spend their time even during their class hours to play and do

cutting classes.