Absenteeism: A Descriptive Study of Student and Staff Perceptions

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the perceptions of students and staff participating in a self-paced blended-learning environment on the topic of absenteeism. The research and its findings examine the similarities and differences between the perceptions of students who receive special education services and their non-disabled peers. In addition, the research and its findings determine similarities and differences between the perceptions of students and staff. The reviewed literature examines the disproportionality in absenteeism rates between special education students and non-disabled peers, factors related to absenteeism, consequences of absenteeism, and interventions. Derived from the literature, survey questions were created and posed to voluntary and anonymous participants. The results revealed that there are more similarities than differences between student perceptions but some significant differences between staff and student perceptions. Implications of the study reveal the need for an increase in systemic interventions to help decrease overall absenteeism rates with a focus on aligning staff efforts with student needs.