School Disengagement Processes: The Phenomenon of School Absenteeism from the Perspective of School Principals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21703/rexe.v24i55.2864Keywords:
Absenteeism; school attendance; principales; leaders; public schoolsAbstract
The paper explores the perspective of public school administrators on the phenomenon of school absenteeism, the influencing factors, and its main consequences. The methodology employed was qualitative, involving 10 semi-structured interviews with school administrators from the northern, central, and southern regions of Chile. The results indicate that administrators associate the origin of absenteeism with causes related to the home or families, the student, and the neighborhood or community. Within the school, administrators did not identify causes of absenteeism but rather factors promoting attendance. Regarding the consequences of absenteeism, they were identified in the domains of academic performance and learning, socio-emotional development, and engagement with the school and social integration. The conclusions suggest that, although the administrators' perspective is multifaceted, they tend to attribute the causes of absenteeism to families and do not analyze or delve into the internal causes within each school that may be causing absenteeism. Furthermore, the consequences of absenteeism extend beyond the academic realm, emphasizing the urgency of adopting more effective measures to address this phenomenon."
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