The Effect of Incentives on Fifth Grade Attendance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an attendance incentive would positively affect the attendance of selected fifth grade students in their social studies and science classes. The measurement tool was a researcher developed Excel data sheet that was modeled after the elementary school’s attendance tracker. This study used a pretest/posttest design to compare attendance data over a six-week period from January 11, 2021-February 19, 2021 (prior to the attendance incentive) and March 1, 2021- April 9, 2021 (during the implementation of the incentive). The results of the study showed a positive increase in attendance with the implementation of an attendance award; however, the data was not statistically significant and may have been affected by various factors. Further research will need to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of an attendance incentive on the attendance of fifth graders.