An Action Research on Absenteeism Among Grade One Pupils of Maghubas

Elementary School, Burauen, Province of Leyte

by
Cathy Bantula
Mae Beverly A. Cabello
Meldy Garcelazo Creer
Estelita Del Pilar
Dominique Elmido
Garcielle Costa

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Professional Education 233 course for the
degree on
Diploma in Teaching Secondary

Eastern Visayas State University- Burauen Campus

December 2020

1
 ABSTRACT

This paper discussed the causes of absenteeism among Grade One pupils of Maghubas
Elementary School. The respondents of this study were the thirty-one enrolled pupils in the
said grade level including their parents, class adviser, teaching staff and other school personnel,
as well as selected members of the Barangay Local Government Unit. The researchers used
purposive sampling method in the selection of the respondents. Key informant interviews and
focus group discussion were conducted to get responses from the key stakeholders whereas a
survey questionnaire was administered to the pupils. Data were collected and analyzed in
December 2020 and the results were presented in tabular and text formats.
This action research was aimed at finding out the reasons behind missed days in school
of the pupils and whether their absences affect their learning performance. Several
recommendations for the stakeholders to employ were also solicited with the end goal at
reducing the incidences of absenteeism among the young learners. The results of this study can
serve as basis for future studies related to the academic conditions within the institution and
for educational policy planning and project implementation purposes.

2
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researchers would like to extend warmest appreciation to all the people who made
this action research paper a success.

First and foremost to the Eastern Visayas State University-Burauen campus, it is in this
great institution that we owe our Steptoe as we fulfill our utmost dreams and aspirations. With
honor and pride they have given us, our hearts are full and ambitions be achieved.

Second, to our ever dynamic instructors most especially to Dr. Leticia B. Raga, for
guiding us and giving us the opportunity to explore more of our potentials and exposing us to
the wonders of making this research paper. We are so blessed to have them as our teachers!

Third, we acknowledge the active participation of our respondents who have given their
precious time and knowledge in answering our inquiries during our fieldwork. Thank you so
much to the Maghubas Teaching Staff most specially to Grade One class adviser Ms Maricres
Tolibas for the support. Also, we are grateful for the support from the officers and staff of
Barangay Maghubas headed by their Chairperson Monica Enerlan. Most of all we are thankful
to the parents of the pupils and to the pupils themselves for allowing us to get their responses
despite this pandemic. This research will not be completed without all of them.

Fourth, to the Profesional Education 233 Child and Adolescent Development class of
AY 2020-2021, to our classmates for the motivation and encouragement they have given to the
team. In unity, we stand as one and we will achieve greater heights together.

To our families, for allowing us to allot time for the conduct of this research though
sometimes we need to let go our attention to this work instead of enjoying with them. Thank
you so much for the kindest understanding.

Lastly, to the Almighty God for giving us the strength and protecting us from the risks
associated with the conduct of this study during this Pandemic. May He continue to bless us
more so we may be able to give ourselves in service to our community and to the country.

3
 CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

Absenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence from a duty or obligation without good

reason and is generally unplanned absences.1 Absenteeism in school is the habit of staying
away from school without providing a genuine or any reason for not attending classes. Also, it
is a truant behavior that negatively affects the performance among students.2
Absenteeism is a student behavior grounded on physical, psychological and social
reasons and affecting student’s development negatively. (Gokyer, 2012) Students need to
attend school daily to succeed. Ubogu (2004) stated that illness, financial difficulties, age,
social rank, geographical region, attitudes of teachers, weak school management, high cost of
education and weather condition causes absenteeism. Mervilde (1981) also reveals that family
health, financial concerns, poor school environment, drug and alcohol use, transportation
problems, and differing community attitudes towards education all leads to absenteeism among
children.
The Department of Education defined student absenteeism as when a pupil/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.3
The country is presently implementing the K to 12 Program covering Kindergarten and
12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School
and two years of Senior High School). This new curriculum is aimed at providing sufficient
time for students to master the concepts and skills, develop them into lifelong learners as well
as prepare them for tertiary education, skills development, employment and entrepreneurship. 4
Data from the Philippine Survey on Children 2001 by the PSA revealed that four
million (16.2%) of Filipino children aged 5-17 years old were economically active or working
for their family and that there are three hundred forty-nine thousand (349,000) working
children coming from Eastern Visayas. Survey results have shown that a Filipino working child
was mostly male, an elementary grader whose median age was between 10-17 years and is
usually residing in the rural areas. 5

1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absenteeism
2 https://enezaeducation.com/absenteeism-in-school/#:~:text=Absenteeism%20in%20school%20is%20the,
affects%20the%20performance%20among%20students.
3 https://www.teacherph.com/learners-discipline manual/#:~:text=Absences.,for%20the%20course%20or%20subject.
4 https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/k-12/#:~:text=The%20K%20to%2012%20Program,prepare%20graduates%

20for%20tertiary%20education%2C
5 https://psa.gov.ph/content/philippine-survey-children-2001-preliminary-results

4
 This study is aimed at looking for the reasons behind the frequent absences among
grade one pupils of Maghubas Elementary School in Burauen, Province of Leyte. This study
will help the educators in knowing what causes their significant absences in school and enable
them to strategically plan and formulate strategies in addressing the issue. This will not discuss
other related problems encountered in the school or include responses of irrelevant stakeholders
in order to better demonstrate the actual results and recommend appropriate interventions.
Further, this paper seeks to answer the following research questions, namely:
1. What are the causes of absenteeism among Grade One pupils of Maghubas
Elementary School?
2. How does absenteeism affect their learning performance in school?
3. What are the possible measures various stakeholders can employ to reduce
incidences of absenteeism among these pupils?

INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY

As with the challenges the researchers encountered with the Pandemic, siginificant
innovations were employed in the manner of collecting data from the respondents on field.
Technological advances thru the Internet and Social Media were utilized to capture actual
responses and record the information substantial for this paper. Further, following strict health
protocols provided by the Inter-Agency Task Force is very crucial in ensuring the safety of
both the researchers and the respondents during the course of conduct of this study.

RESEARCH METHODS

Research Design

The researchers used qualitative method in the conduct of this research utilizing key
informant interview with teachers as well as focus group discussion with key stakeholders. The
researchers also gathered secondary data such as school records, daily attendance registers and
grading sheets. In addition to this, a survey questionnaire was administered to thirty-one pupils
enrolled in the grade level to directly get their responses.

5
Participants of the Study

The respondents of this study include the enrolled pupils and class adviser of Grade
One level in Maghubas Elementary School in Burauen, Leyte as well as the parents, selected
school personnel, Parent-Teacher Association members and Barangay officers.

Data Collection Procedure

The researchers used purposive sampling method in the selection of the respondents.
Data collection and analysis was undertaken on December 2020. Also, responses from
respondents were retrieved through social networking sites such as Facebook messenger
application, phone call and text messaging, as well as by interviewing them on schedule and
distributing survey questionnaires while at the same time ensuring safety by maintaining social
distancing and strictly following health protocols mandated by the authorities.

Data Analysis

The data collected from fieldwork was analyzed by arranging transcripts from
interviews and field notes and presented in text and tabular form. The results of the survey
questionnaire administered among the pupils was presented in tabular and text form.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

Based on the results from the survey conducted among the pupils of Maghubas
Elementary School as shown in Table 1 below, the top five reasons causing their absenteeism
included the following (1) No one accompanied them to school since its far; (2) They were told
not to attend class by their parents; (3) They felt lazy in going to school; (4) Their tooth aches;
(5) They do not understand the lessons discussed by their teacher.
As with the responses gathered from discussions with key stakeholders (see Table 2),
it was found out that they all view education as means for a child to have a brighter future and
that attending school is important, thus both parents and children should help each other
towards the realization of their goals. Full support must be provided to the children in school-
related matters such as but not limited to financial, supplies, help with homework and proper
advice.

6
 Presented in Table 2 were the reasons why children incur absences in school including
health issues, financial limitations, distance from home to school, among others. Absenteeism
also greatly affects the child’s performance in school as shown in the responses of the
stakeholders. Accordingly, the children are not interested in attending classes since they were
already left behind in their lessons. Further, they had higher possibility of getting low scores at
exams and failing grades in their subjects. Encouraging and motivating them to attend school,
properly taking good care of them to minimize health problems as well as preparing them for
school were the recommendations cited by the stakeholders to reduce absenteeism of these
young learners.

Table 1. Summary of responses gathered from the Grade One Pupils on the Reasons Behind
their Absences
Reasons 1 2 3 4 5
A. Physical Issues
1. Our house is far from the school 0 0 0 21 10
2. It is not safe to go to school 0 0 0 21 10
3. No one accompanies me to 0 0 0 10 21
school since its far
B. Health Issues
1. My tooth aches 0 0 10 21 0
2. I have a stomachache 0 0 31 0 0
3. I have a headache/ feeling dizzy 0 0 31 0 0
4. I got a fever/flu/ not feeling well 0 21 10 0 0
5. I have diarrhea, other illnesses. 0 21 10 0 0
C. Personal Issues
1. I am not interested in my studies 0 0 10 21 0
2. I feel lazy in going to school 0 0 0 31 0
3. Me and my classmates agreed on 0 0 10 21 0
not going to school
4. I can’t focus with my education 0 10 0 21 0
5. I woke up late for school 0 0 21 10 0
6. I was not able to study or do 0 0 31 0 0
homework

7
 7. I played computer games 31 0 0 0 0
D. Teacher-Related Issues
1. I got reprimanded by my teacher 0 21 10 0 0
2. I do not understand the lessons 0 10 21 0 0
discussed by my teacher
3. I disliked my teacher 21 10 0 0 0
E. School-related Issues
1. I am not comfortable in our 31 0 0 0 0
classroom since its hot there
2. We have a noisy class 0 31 0 0 0
3. My classmates bullied me. 0 31 0 0 0
4. I don’t have a friend in 0 31 0 0 0
class/school
F. Home-related Issues
1. I was told not to attend class by 0 0 21 10 0
my parents.
2. My parents quarreled. 0 21 10 0 0
3. My parents don’t care about my 0 21 10 0 0
education
4. I do a lot of chores at home 0 21 10 0 0
5. I don’t have money/allowance to 0 21 10 0 0
buy snacks in school
6. We don’t have food/I haven’t 0 21 10 0 0
eaten my breakfast.

Table 2. Summary of responses gathered from various stakeholders

Responses
Questions asked Parents Teaching/School Community/
Personnel Barangay officers
1.Opinion on -Education is way to -For the child to have -Education for the
education of the achieve the child’s a good future future of the children
children ambition in life to be better

8
 -Without parental -Educating them is -Important to finish
support, the child asset that cannot be studies
will not proceed with stolen from them -Perform best in
studies -Parents have great school
-When child is contribution to the -Go to school to gain
always absent in child’s education insights on the lesson
school, they will not -Children must put
learn anything. effort in their
education
2. What support -Facilitate and assist -Provide school -Financial support
given to children for in all school-related supplies -School supplies
their education matters, projects -Conduct meetings -Assist them with
-Advise children to with parents for homework
attend school to learn updates on child’s -Provide for the
performance school needs

3.Reasons why -Childish behavior, -Health problems -Emergency/Urgent

children incur school they are lazy in going (fever,etc.) activity of parent
absences to school and easily -Family problem -Health issues
lose their interests in -No money for -Children woke up
their studies snacks late for school
-Distance between -Empty stomach
home and school -house far from
-No money for school
transport expenses -child labor
-No allowance
-The child is
incharge of the home
when parents are
working
4.Effects of -The child will not -No/Few learnings -No learnings
absenteeism on the learn and will be left will be acquired -Child not interested
children in attending classes

9
 behind in their -Lack interest in since he/she is
lessons studies already left behind in
-The child will not be -Low scores at their lessons
able to learn exams; failing grades -Child does not
-Child will be left understand what is
behind in their being taught to them
lessons
5.How absenteeism -No learnings -Child will lose -Few learnings
affects their learning -The child will not interest in studies acquired
performance in learn the lessons - Child will be left -Child is being left
school taught during missed behind in their behind in their
days in school lessons lessons thereby
-The future is -No/Few learnings lacking interest in
uncertain for will be acquired attending school
children not -Child has a hard
attending school time understanding
their lessons
6.Recommendation/ -Give proper advice -Take care of -Take proper care of
Suggestion to reduce to children on the children’s daily children to minimize
absenteeism of the benefits of being needs for school health problems
children in school educated -Attend school- -Provide for the
-Prepare the children related school needs and
for school meetings/activities requirements
-Pray to God for -For parents to
protection from encourage their
illnesses/accidents children to attend
-Counsel children on school
the pros and cons of -Motivate them to
absenteeism attend classes
-Encourage children
in their studies,
reward and praise
them; motivate them

10
 to achieve their
ambitions
-Trace the lessons
missed by child upon
his/her absences and
help them keep on
track

REFLECTION
In a 3rd World country like Philippines, poverty is the main reason of some student’s
absenteeism in school. Parents don’t have work to support their kids needs in school, or will
bring their kids at work to help them. This are the reason why some students won’t be able to
finish. Although government have programs to help, still there are students who prefer not to
attend class because the support is not enough, having a regular job will give a big help to the
family to support kids for their school finances. Because of this problem of student
absenteeism, it affects their learning, they miss the interaction during class discussion to ask
questions regard to the topic being discussed. Learning at school is important and that the
parents should understand. It is the parents’ responsibility to give their kids the education they
deserved. With everybody’s help, the government, parents, and teachers will be able to fight
student absenteeism, hoping that no student will be absent because of poverty. (Cathy Bantula)
Absenteeism not only affects child achievement, it can also affect their attitude and
behavior at school. When a child has attendance issues, achievement issues and behavior issues
it increases their risk of dropping out of school. Teachers should be identifying the cause:
engage in a one-on-one discussion with the student in order to identify the probable cause of
his/her absenteeism and Imparting knowledge: Educate the students regarding the importance
of attendance, the adverse effects of absenteeism and school rules concerning the same. In
other words, student attendance is important. The attendance rate
is important because students are more likely to succeed in academics when they
attend school consistently. In addition to falling behind in academics, students who are not
in school on a regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems
in their communities. (Meldy Creer)
Developmental milestones of primary schoolers must be achieved so that these young
children will move onto next stage of their childhood with relative ease. Having good personal
11
hygiene at this stage is crucial for their physical growth. Child nutrition is essential for physical
and mental development of the children. As cited in the results in this study, tooth problems
are common among the reasons leading to absenteeism of the children. This problem could
have been prevented early on had they been exposed to practicing good personal and oral
hygiene and been provided balanced nutrition. As it is stated in Erik Erikson’s Psycho-Social
Theory of Development, “six-year old children dedicate themselves to education and learning
the social skills their society requires. It is expected of parents and family members to
encourage, teachers to care, and peers to accept them for who they are and what they want to
become in their future life.” The roles of people around them make a big influence on the lives
of these young learners. (Mae Cabello)
Further, as Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development suggested
“Children need people in order to become human. He reminded the school and the teachers of
their very important role and that they must look into the child’s environmental systems to
better understand each characteristics and needs. The schools and teachers contributed stability
and long-term relationships, but only to support and not replace the relationships in the home.
Bronfenbrenner further believed children need a sense of caring that lasts a lifetime which can
be fostered within the immediate sphere of the child’s influence. The school must be an
environment that welcomes and nurtures families and that society must value the work done
by all stakeholders on the children.”6 In this research, we thereby collected responses from all
related stakeholders whom we believed could provide solutions to the problems of absenteeism
of the young learners and we hoped that through this research, their minds are enlightened that
all of them played a big part on the children’s lifetime and holistic development. (Mae Cabello)
Learning at school is important and its the parents’ responsibility to give their kids the
best education they deserve. The main reason of absenteeism is their health problem, family
matters, lack of care for the pupil in their school-related affairs. Attendance is important for
the pupils to learn and acquire essential skills and being absent in class have adverse effects in
their academic standing. Children are more likely to survive academically and even excel in
their studies when they are always present in class. Poverty is not the main reason for children
not to get education but it is the lack of child support. When the parents, school and the
community worked together to encourage, motivate and support these young children, then
their future can be secured and we can expect a world where children will become responsible
leaders of their generation. (Estelita Del Pilar)

6
Corpuz, Brenda B. et al. The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles, 2018, pp 125-130.

12
 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusions
Based on the results gathered from fieldwork, the following conclusions are made:
1. The causes of absenteeism among Grade One pupils of Maghubas Elementary School
are the following: (a) No one accompanied them to school since its far; (b) They were
told not to attend class by their parents; (c) They felt lazy in going to school; (d) Their
tooth aches; (e) They do not understand the lessons discussed by their teacher.
2. Children who regularly missed school days had higher possibility of getting low scores
at exams and failing grades in their subjects.
3. Encouraging and motivating them to attend school, properly taking good care of them
to minimize health problems as well as preparing them for school were the
recommendations cited by the stakeholders to reduce absenteeism of these young
learners.

Recommendations

For Parents:
1. Inform their child about the importance of school and obtaining a good education. Let them
know that school is a priority and that missing school is not okay.
2. Try to understand why children does not want to go to school. Some children do not want
to go to school because of bullies, academic difficulties, or peer pressure.
3. Establish a good working relationship with the school and particularly of the child’s
teachers. By maintaining communication and collaboration between home and school it is
more likely help the child succeed in school.

For Teachers:
1. To educate and talk with parents on the importance of the child’s schooling
2. Accurately monitor the attendance. Schools who keep accurate attendance records are
better able to identify truancy problems early. This includes noting tardiness, patterns
of tardiness and/or absences or absences around particular days (such as holidays) as
these may be red flags that there is a problem.
3. Adopt, and apply, a consistent school policy regarding truancy. In order for the policy
to be effective, pupils/students must be made aware of the policy, held accountable for
their actions, and the policy must be followed consistently. (Meaning the consequences

13
 for truancy, such as detention, in school suspension, counseling, etc. are enforced each
and every time a child is truant)
4. Intervene early with parents and the pupils/ student when attendance becomes a
problem. When a pupil /student is absent:
5. Make every effort to contact the parent and try to figure out what might be going on. If
time allows, call the parent during the day instead of calling in the evening.
6. Talk to the student about why he/she was absent. Make sure that the pupils/student
realize that teachers were aware of the absences and care about them being in school.
7. Acknowledge pupils/students when their attendance increases. Even when attendance
is not perfect, pupils/students should be rewarded for making an effort to come to school
more regularly. Doing so focuses on the positive change the pupils/student is making
and encourages them to continue coming to school.

For all stakeholders

1. To motivate the children to attend class because through education it will help them to
be successful and will get them out from poverty

14
 ACTION PLAN

Objectives/Targets Activities/Tasks/Steps Persons Involved

Accompanying the children Provide additional support School personnel
in going to school since its system PTA members
far. Barangay officers
Encourage the parents on the -Conduct meetings with Teachers/School
importance of education of parents for updating on status Parents
the young learners of children’s performance in PTA members
school on a regular basis Barangay officers
Keep the children interested -Give rewards for perfect Teachers
in their education attendance Parents
-Provide some school
supplies to the pupils
-Make the children feel that
the school is their second
home
-Motivate them to attend
school regularly
Ensure children’s dental -Coordinate with LGU in the School/Principal/Teaching
health conduct of regular dental staff
check-ups and extraction Parents
LGU/RHU
Assist the children’s -Visit the student at home Teachers/School
comprehension on the and give some updates of the Parents
lessons lesson, so they can catch up
with the lesson

15
 REFERENCES

Book sources
Corpuz, Brenda B. et al., The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles,
Lorimar Publishing, Inc. 2018.

Internet Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absenteeism

https://enezaeducation.com/absenteeism-in school/#:~:text=Absenteeism% 20in%20school%

20is%20the, affects%20the%20performance%20among%20students.

https://www.teacherph.com/learners-discipline manual/#:~:text=Absences. ,for% 20the%20

course%20or%20subject.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/k12/#:~:text=The%20K%20to%2012%20Program,prepar
e%20graduates%20for%20tertiary%20education%2C

https://psa.gov.ph/content/philippine-survey-children-2001-preliminary-results
https://owlcation.com/academia/action-research-on-student-absenteeism

16
 ANNEXES

A. Photo Documentation
B. Fieldwork Instruments

17