El absentismo escolar en estudiantes de séptimo de básica de escuelas fiscales de la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

The present research focuses on school absenteeism as a crucial aspect of student development. According to recent studies, absenteeism is a challenge for the educational field due to its detrimental impact on the development of children and adolescents. At the beginning of the school year, it is common to find children enthusiastic about starting new educational experiences. However, it also observe that by the middle or end of the year, they withdraw and do not complete these courses, thus hindering their development. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze school absenteeism among seventh-grade students. Likewise, it conducted a quantitative investigation in three public schools in the city of Cuenca, involving 181 children at the middle basic education level, specifically in the seventh grade. In addition, it used a sociodemographic data sheet and a questionnaire on school absenteeism, consisting of four dimensions (individual, school, family, and community factors) for data collection. The presence of dedicated teachers and access to recovery programs perceive positively in the school environment to prevent absenteeism, while frequent relocations or the need for students to care for sick family members are factors that can cause absenteeism. These results indicate that comprehensive plans need to be implemented to prevent school absenteeism. The involved organizations could work to improve interactions between teachers and students, which would help reduce absenteeism.