Gaining a better understanding of teacher absenteeism: How structural and organizational factors impact a teacher’s decision to be absent

Abstract

This study explores the reasons for chronic teacher absenteeism, which is a growing concern due to the resulting expenses and implications on student learning. Twenty-one elementary teachers from seven different Michigan school districts were interviewed about their experiences with and perceptions of teacher absenteeism. Using interpretive lenses from the management literature on employee absenteeism and education literature on teacher mental health and burnout, chronically absent teachers in this study used paid time off for job-related mental health more often than for personal reasons compared to non-chronically absent teachers. Participants cited working conditions that often drive teacher turnover as common reasons for decisions to be absent such as student behaviors, large class sizes, accountability pressures, lack of building and administrative support, lack of resources, increased workload, performing additional duties above and beyond teaching, and compensation dissatisfaction. Teachers were largely unaware of district attendance and incentive policies. Some felt teacher pay was low and inconsistent with the stress of the job, using these views to justify taking more days off as part of their total compensation package. These findings suggest that structural and organizational factors can evoke feelings of teacher burnout and contribute significantly to chronic absenteeism for teachers in this study.