Factors Affecting the Attendance of Advanced Level Students in Government Schools in Sri Lanka

Abstract

It is aimed at identifying factors which affect attendance to school for Advanced Level students in government schools in Sri Lanka, with special emphasis on Arts and Commerce streams, since attendance is gradually increasing as an issue, with negative bearing as irregular attendance affects their performance, motivation, and mental well-being as well. This study adopts a mixed method technique, which combines both surveys and interviews, in order to address in-depth different elements concerning attendance. Samples comprising 400 students have been used in this study, with a well-structured questionnaire regarding student preferences, teacher and subject considerations, physical and mental capabilities, non-collegiate activities, facilities in the classroom, personal and health-related considerations, and family and support considerations. Semi-structured interviews with parents and teachers have been conducted in addition to data collection, with views and perceptions regarding attendance in broader regards being addressed. For the quantitative data, the methods employed include descriptive statistics, reliability coefficient, correlation, and regression using the SPSS package, while the thematic analysis was employed on the qualitative data from the interviews. From the findings, it was shown that home environment and support from the parents, followed by activities away from the college, classroom facilities, and teachers, had the greatest effects on attendance. Student preferences and health-related matters had a mediocre effect on attendance. Using thematic analysis, it was observed that while the main focus of the parents is on well-structured programming, finance, and support, the teachers' main focus is on motivation in the classroom and in the institution, including overcrowding. Based on the results, this study suggests that measures be taken in improving teaching practices, provision of better classroom facilities, parent involvement, provision of counseling services, and establishing effective attendance management systems. The researcher confirms that by providing a conducive environment that encourages students to be in school on a daily basis, it will help improve students' results. The importance of the study is that it explains the various aspects of absenteeism in the government schools of Sri Lanka.