IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO ABSENTEEISM IN ROMANIAN RURAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

<doi>10.24250/jpe/1/2021/LMT/RSV

Authors

  • Loredana-Marcela TRANCA West University of Timisoara
  • Ramona-Sorina VIRLAN

Keywords:

school absenteeism, rural environment, high school students, Romania.

Abstract

The present article highlights the factors that favor the high absenteeism of high school students in rural areas. The first part of the article includes an analysis of the literature, and the second part presents and analyses the research carried out in April-May 2020 with the aim of identifying the causes of school absenteeism of high school students in rural areas. As far as the design of the research is concerned, this is a quantitative one that used the questionnaire as a research tool. The participants in this study were 82 students from two rural high schools in Hunedoara County. The research tool used tracked family-type factors, namely the relationship between family members, the encouragement and interest of parents towards school and alcohol consumption; on the other hand, economic factors (income and difficulties caused by lack of income) and social factors (entourage, how students tend to spend their time when not attending school) were targeted. The questionnaire was completed online through a Google Forms app, and their results highlight problems related to school absenteeism in students from violent families whose members are drinkers; the same is true among those whose parents are of little or perhaps non-existent interest in the child’s school results. Family low-income makes attending school difficult and favours the entry into the labour market for young people who want to support their family financially.

Author Biography

Loredana-Marcela TRANCA, West University of Timisoara

PhD.

References

Barron, D., Vintila, M., Swami, V., (2020), An assessment of the dimensionality of a Romanian translation of the schizotypal personality questionnaire and associations with quality of life, self-esteem and life satisfaction, in Schizofrenia bulletin, vol. 46, suppl 1.

Băiașu, A. G. (2014). Cauzele absenteismului şcolar. [The causes of absenteeism]. Dialoguri Didactice, 1:33-35. https://ltibanescu.ro/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Revista-Dialoguri-didactice.pdf#page=33 (31.05.2020).

Bălăuță, D. S., Borcovici, R. Vlaicu, F.L. (2017). School Social Work – between reality and desideratum. Agora Psycho-Pragmatica 11 (2), 76-82. https://www.uav.ro/jour/index.php/app/article/view/881/0.

Bărbat, A. C., Caraion-Buzdeab, C., Runcan, P, L. & Vlaicu, B. (2010). Aggressiveness within the high school students sector: Comparison between two measurement instruments. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 2(2): 4781-4786. DOI: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.770.

Bejan, D. (2012). Absenteismul şcolar : fenomen care trebuie îndepărtat prin metode eficiente. [School absenteeism: a phenomenon that must be eliminated by efficient methods]. Vatra Dornei: StudlS.

Blank, M. J., Melaville, A., & Shah, B. P. (2003). Making the difference: Research and practice in community schools. http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/Page/CCSFullReport.pdf (03.04.2020).

Braghiș, M. (2010). Aspecte şi strategii practice de valorificare a parteneriatului şcoală-familie-comunitate. [Aspects and practical strategies for capitalizing on the school-family-community partnership]. In: Personalitatea integrală – un deziderat al educaţiei moderne. Materialele conferinței științifice internaţionale. [Integral personality - a desideratum of modern education. International scientific conference materials]. 119-121, Chişinău: IȘE.

European Comission. (2017). Education and Training Monitor 2017 Country analysis. https://www.ccd-bucuresti.org/images/PDF/Educatia_in_actualitate/2017-2018/monitor2017-raport%20de%20tara_ro.pdf (03.04.2020).

Coman, C. (2007). Tehnici de negociere. [Negotiation techniques] CH Beck.

Coman, C., & Netedu, A. (2011). Statistică aplicată în ştiinţele sociale. [Statistics applied in the social sciences] Institutul European.

Coman, C., Rezeanu, C. I., Mihalte, S. I., & Kiss, R. (2018). Highlighting the image of the local government institutions in mass media based on the results of the content analysis.Curentul Juridic-Juridical Current, 21(1), 39-56.

Dancă, A. G. C., Croitoru, T., Grădinaru, E.C., (coord.) (2014). Nu abandona. Joacă-ţi rolul!. [Don't give up. Play your part !]. Vaslui: Editura Casei Corpului Didactic.

Eurostat (2017). Education and training statistics at regional level https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Archive:Statistici_privind_educa%C8%9Bia_%C8%99i_formarea_profesional%C4%83_la_nivel_regional. (10.04.2020).

Gazibar, M. (coord.) (2018). Bunăstarea copilului din mediu rural. [The welfare of the rural child]. Cluj-Napoca: Risoprint.

Gavrila-Ardelean, M. (2019). Children’s right to benefit from health services and health education. Educația Plus, 25(2), 188-191.

Gavrila-Ardelean, M., Gavrila-Ardelean, L. (2017). Review of Need for Health Education in the Bio-Psycho-Social Approach of Mental Health. Educația Plus, 17(1), 276-285.

Gavrilă-Ardelean, M., Gavrilă-Ardelean, L. (2017). Education for Children with Special Needs. International Children Rights Congress 1, 500-508.

Goian, C., (2019), Parents counseling for improving the capacity of socialization of their preschool children, in Journal Plus Education,vol, XXV, 122-131.

Goian, C. (2014), Transnational wellbeing analysis of the needs of professionals and learners engaged in adult education, in Procedia- Social and behavioral sciences, 142, 380-388.

Guvernul României (2015). Strategia Natională privind învățarea pe tot parcursul vieții 2015-2020. [National Strategy for Long-life Learning 2015-2020]. https://www.edu.ro/sites/default/files/_fi%C8%99iere/Minister/2016/strategii/Strategie%20LLL%20(1).pdf (15.05.2020).

Ivan, C. & Rostaș, I. (2015). Măsuri de succes în prevenirea părăsirii timpurii a școlii. Fundația Roma Education Fund România. [Successful measures to prevent early school leaving. Roma Education Fund Romania Foundation]. https://romaeducationfund.ro/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Raport_POSDRU_132996_Complet-FINAL-1.pdf (03.05.2020).

Kearney, C.A. (2008). An Interdisciplinary Model of School Absenteeism in Youth to Inform Professional Practice and Public Policy. Review Psychology Review , 20:257–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-008-9078-3.

Meszaroș, A., Goian, C., Vlaicu, F.L., Bălăuță, D.S. (2020). A Comparative Analysis Between the Perceptions and Attitudes of Students in Two High Schools With Different Status Regarding the Phenomenon of Bullying in Schools. Journal Plus Education. 25(1):38-325. https://uav.ro/jour/index.php/jpe/article/view/1484.

Ministerul Educației și Cercetării. (2020). Elevii din România vor avea transport gratuit. [Students in Romania will have free transport]. https://www.edu.ro/elevii-din-rom%C3%A2nia-vor-avea-transport-gratuit (22.06.2020).

Muntean, A., Roth, M., Iovu, M. B. (2010) Family Subjective Poverty and its Implications For Adolescent's School Behaviour and Performance. Today's Children are Tomorrow's Parents. 28: 28-39.

Ocak, G., Ocak, I., & Baysal, E.A. (2017). The Causes of Absenteeism of High School Students. European Journal of Education Studies, 3(4):331-346. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315076112_THE_CAUSES_OF_ABSENTEEISM_OF_HIGH_SCHOOL_STUDENTS (30.05.2020).

Otovescu, A. (2017). Conservarea identității culturale în mediile de imigranți români din Europa. București: Editura Academiei Române.

Otovescu, C., & Otovescu, A. (2019). The Depopulation of Romania–Is It an Irreversible Process?. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 65, 370-388.

Parlamentul României (2011) Legea educației naționale nr. 1/2011. [National education law no. 1/2011]. https://www.edu.ro/sites/default/files/legea-educatiei_actualizata%20august%202018.pdf (20.05.2020).

Salvați Copiii (2014). Sărăcia și excluziunea socială a copiilor din Europa- O abordare din perspectiva drepturilor copiilor. [Child Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe – A matter of children’s rights] Bruxelles: Save the Children. https://www.salvaticopiii.ro/sci-ro/files/12/12926672-aae6-4bfe-a73d-8f785434cfce.pdf.

Scutaru, A. & Botnari, V. (2019). Absenteismul școlar: esență, cauze, factori. [School absenteeism: essence, causes, factors.]. https://ibn.idsi.md/sites/default/files/imag_file/155-162_4.pdf. (31.05.2020).

Sirbu, A., Vintila, M., Tisu, L, Stefanut, A., Tudorel , O., Maguran, B., Toma, R., (2020), Parental Alienation- Development and validation of a behavioral anchor scale, in Sustainability, vol 13(1), 1-18.

Surdu, L. (2011). Participare, absenteism şcolar şi experienţa discriminării în cazul romilor din România. [Participation, school absenteeism and the experience of discrimination in the case of Roma in Romania]. Bucureşti: Vanemonde.

Tîrcă, A. (coord.). (2012). Călătoria spre o şcoală bună: ghid de management pentru dezvoltare instituţională în vederea prevenirii părăsirii timpurii a şcolii. [The journey to a good school: a management guide for institutional development in order to prevent early school leaving]. Braşov: Foton.

Trancă, L. M. (2018) School Dropout: a Case Study on Prevention Measures. Agora Psycho-Pragmatica. 12 (2): 196-206. https://www.uav.ro/jour/index.php/app/issue/view/73.

Trancă, L. M. (2020). Role of Social Workers and Current Difficulties Faced by Social Workers in the Prevention of School Dropout in Western Romania. Social Work Review, 19(1), 157-168. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=851075.

Tudorel, O., Vintila, M., Vlaicu, L, Balauta, D., Goian, C., Rusu, A., (2018), Romanina version of the Internet Addiction test: Psychometric properties and cross-gender invariance, in Journal of Mental Health and addiction, 17, 234-246.

Țiulescu, L. V. (2013). Abandonul şcolar în România. [School dropout in Romania]. Bucureşti: Pro Universitaria.

UNICEF (2017) School attendance initiative. https://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/Romania-2018-003-Report_Summative_Evaluation_School_Attendance_Initiative-Final.pdf (27.05.2020).

Vintila, M., Tudorel, O., Goian, C. Barbat, C., (2018, Determining the structure of smartphone addiction sclae: a bifactor model analysis, in Current Psychology, 40, 1107-1114.

Voicu, I, B. (coord.) (2010). Renunţarea timpurie la educaţie: posibile căi de prevenire. [Early school leaving: possible ways to prevent it]. Bucureşti: Vanemonde.

Word Vision (2018). Educația – șansa de viitor a copiilor de la sate. [Education - the future chance of village children]. https://worldvision.ro/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/RAWV20190_FS15.pdf. (31.05.2020).

Downloads

Published

2021-04-22