Teacher's Behavior Affecting Students’ Attendance as Perceived by the Students of Puro National High School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The positive and negative behaviors exhibited by teachers determine to a great extent their effectiveness in the classroom and the impact they have on students' achievement. Several specific characteristics of teacher responsibilities and teacher behaviors that contribute directly to effective teaching are classroom management and organization, planning and organizing for instruction, monitoring students' progress and potential and professionalism (Stronge, 2016). Without these characteristics, a learner may disengage himself in school and later on may lead to truancy. The main purpose of this study is to identify teachers' behavior that affect the attendance of the students particularly those students who became truants because of their teachers' behavior. Diagnosing the reasons for such problems in truancy with teacher as the main factor will help the school find remedy to address the problem and be given appropriate solution.

METHODS

Checklist survey questionnaires with close-ended questions were distributed to the identified students with problems in attendance and were asked on the reasons of their truancy. The first phase was given to all identified truant learners. Those students with problems in attendance due to teacher factor answered the phase II of the questionnaire. Purposive sampling was utilized by gathering the truant students based on form 2. To analyze the data gathered, for Phase I and II item 1, frequency percentage was used and ranking for items 2 & 3 of Phase II.

RESULTS

The topmost teachers' behavior that affects students' attendance was the teachers' absenteeism and their strictness in checking attendance. As to the qualities of the teacher that could motivate the students to attend the class regularly was the teacher's mastery of the lesson. The favorable characteristics observed by the students in the classroom were teachers discipline students with respect and dignity while the unfavorable was that teacher arrives oftentimes late or absent.

DISCUSSIONS

The results show that teacher influenced students' attendance in class as believed also by Schef (2016) that teachers are one of the causative factors of truancy. This involves teacher student relationship and lacking of respect/fairness among students. Students with poor or conflicting relationship with teachers will avoid school in order to avoid their teachers. Future researchers may conduct qualitative research that focus on the reasons of conflicting relationship among teacher and students that leads to students' truancy.