Influences Relating to Secondary Student Attendance

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship between student academic self-efficacy, cost and task value beliefs in education as it relates to student attendance. Previous research has linked absenteeism to educational outcomes (Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012; Chang & Romero, 2008; Ready, 2010). Participants were selected using purposeful sampling from two public high schools in Oklahoma City Public Schools. The sample included 202 students, with 24 participants from U.S. Grant High School and 178 from Capitol Hill High School, both located on the south side of Oklahoma City. The schools serve predominantly Hispanic student populations with a substantial proportion of English Language Learners (approximately 50%). This study examines the relationship between self-efficacy, task value, perceived cost, and student absenteeism based on the following questions: Is absenteeism related to self-efficacy, task value, and perceived cost? To what extent do task value, self-efficacy, and perceived cost predict absenteeism? The implications of this study could be far more than solely for educational research, but also for potential policy and practice. This research could be linked to current and future research in order to design more relevant and engaging curricula tied to students’ interests, goals, and cultural background—to increase self-efficacy, value, and cost. The results provide evidence that self-efficacy and several task value constructs were significant predictors of unexcused absences, whereas perceived cost variables were associated with total absenteeism. The findings indicate that students’ self-beliefs, perceptions of task value, and perceived costs may contribute to shaping attendance behaviors.