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Improving Attendance and Academic Performance Among Grade 12 Students

through Incentive-Based Intervention

An Action Research Proposal is Presented

to Diplahan District Research Committee

of the Division of Zamboanga Sibugay

Submitted by;

PEDE I. CASING, MAEd

Senior High School Teacher - III

Diplahan National High School

Poblacion, Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay

September 2018
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I. Context and Rationale

One of the challenges for teachers is students’ absenteeism. Teachers prepare lesson

plans or daily lesson logs with the objective that 100% of the class will learn from the day’s

classroom activities, and it is most satisfying when all students are present on that day and

the days thereafter to ensure maximum learning.

Sadly, it is difficult to achieve perfect attendance. No matter how interesting and well-

prepared the lessons and teaching materials are, there are bound to be students who miss

out on the day’s activities – willingly or unwillingly (Murcia, 2015).

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, absenteeism is "chronic absence". In the

context of school, it is the habitual or intentional failure to attend school. While every student

is away from school for many days. Going to school regularly is crucially important for a

student’s education and social skills. Chronically absent students are at a disadvantage both

socially and academically. They miss out on critical stages of social interaction and

development with their peers, while simultaneously limiting their academic progress. This can

result in low self-esteem, social isolation, and dissatisfaction that could well have precipitated

non-attendance in the first place.

School absenteeism is an alarming problem for administrators, teachers, parents,

society in general, and students in particular. Unaccepted absences harm peer relationships,

which can cause further absences. According to Malcolm, et al. (2003), teachers identified the

effects of absenteeism on children as academic under-achievement, difficulty in making

friends which could lead to boredom and loss of confidence, prolonged absence can have

deleterious effects for the child in later life, and students who are absent from school are at

the greatest risk of dropping out of school early.

Moreover, academic performance determines how much an individual has learned or

acquired in his academic studies which are the outcome of the learning process helped along

by instruction and educational activity (Adrias, 2003).

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Meanwhile, absenteeism also affects the teacher’s ability to present classwork in a

sequential and organized way. This can affect the progress of all the students in the class. On

the other hand, the family of habitually absent students can also suffer. For a poverty-stricken

family, it may mean a continuation of the poverty and unemployment cycle that may run in the

family. This also contributes to family conflicts. The society also suffers when school-age

children are not in school. These children may hang out on the streets. Since they have nothing

to do, they resort to petty crimes like stealing other people's belongings and property. Others

may become addicted to drugs or engage in other destructive behavior. Thus, if a student

keeps away from school for too long, he may grow up to be a liability to his community and his

country as a whole.

Furthermore, there are twenty-three (23) out of fifty-nine (59) Grade 12 Electrical

Installation and Maintenance (EIM) students who are always absent in this section. This is

38.98% of the total number of students in the Grade 12 EIM.

In this study, the researcher would like to minimize this problem, if not eradicate it. That

is why the researcher will conduct action research to understand them better. He wanted a

more accurate analysis of why some of his students are perennial absentees, so he could

formulate plans, projects, and programs to minimize their absences.

Also, the use of incentive-based intervention to improve attendance and academic

performance can be perceived as beneficial among students. The attendance and academic

performance incentive-based intervention from the teachers include the following: positive

comments, positive note home to parents, extra time at the computer laboratory, homework

pass, first-in-line privileges, cookie or snack coupons, individual or team certificates, name on

“attendance wall” in the classroom, chance to act as teacher’s assistant, and give pencils,

pens, stickers, bookmarks, and others.

It is in the context that this action research will be undertaken, that is, to identify the

causes why the Grade 12 Electrical and Installation Maintenance (EIM) students in Diplahan

National High School absent themselves from their classes. Since the researcher is the

adviser in Grade 12 EIM section, improving the attendance and academic performance of the
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students is his primary concern. One way to improve attendance and academic performance

are to employ an appropriate intervention hence the Incentive-based. Thus this research

undertaking seeks to establish an evidence-based strategy to improve their attendance and

academic performance.

III. Action Research Questions

This research seeks to document on how to improve the attendance and academic

performance among the Grade 12 Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) students of

Diplahan National High School during the school year 2018 – 2019. Specifically, it seeks to

answer the following questions:

1. What are the factors that cause absenteeism among Grade 12 EIM students?

2. What is the frequency of attendance among Grade 12 EIM students when grouped

into:

2.1. before the incentive-based intervention, and

2.2. after the incentive-based intervention?

3. What is the academic performance of the Grade 12 EIM students when data are

grouped into :

3.1. before the incentive-based intervention, and

3.2. after the incentive-based intervention?

4. Is there a significant relationship between incentive-based intervention and the

attendance among the Grade 12 EIM students?

5. Is there a significant relationship between incentive-based intervention and

academic performance among the Grade 12 EIM students?

6. Is there a significant difference between the attendance and the academic

performance among the Grade 12 EIM students?

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III. Proposed Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy

According to Balfanz (2012), school attendance is vital to student academic

performance at all levels. Research suggests that students with good attendance records are

more likely to improve academically and to graduate, compared to their peers with poor

attendance records. Absenteeism at all levels can negatively impact a student’s long-term

achievement, beginning with critical skill development in the early grades and then academic

performance and graduation rates in middle and high school.

Generally, “chronic absenteeism” is used to describe situations where students miss

10 percent or more school time in an academic year. Though the definition of absenteeism

may differ slightly, the National Center for School Engagement asserts that the outcomes of a

student missing class remain constant regardless of how truancy or absenteeism is classified.

Several studies suggest that chronic absences frequently lead to notable academic problems

(Maynard, 2012).

Students miss school for several reasons, some of which can be attributed to factors beyond

their control. Minorities, males, and urban students, as well as those from low-income, single

parent, and large households, are particularly susceptible to chronic absenteeism. For

example, the Johns Hopkins University study notes that the reasons for student absence may

include the obligations or circumstances that prevent them from going to school, their intention

to evade events or interactions at school or their lack of effort to get to school.

Moreover, a student's past truancy can be a notable predictor of future truancy. In

particular, the National Center of Education Statistics notes that "high school dropouts have

been found to exhibit a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism

throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates." This finding indicates

a potential need for districts and schools to address absenteeism early in a student’s academic

performance. To help combat absenteeism in early grades, educators should pay more

attention to the signs of disinterest or struggle. Some studies suggest that elementary level
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interventions are more effective in boosting attendance than those that begin in middle or high

school (Railsback, 2012).

Furthermore, the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, an

interdisciplinary research center at Standford University, introduced four broad categories of

factors that may contribute to student truancy and absenteeism, including individual issues,

family issues, district, and school policies and practices, and community issues.

In general, many student motivations for absenteeism can be addressed through

prevention strategies. In this study, the researcher will use the Incentive-based Intervention to

improve the attendance and academic performance of the Grade 12 Electrical Installation and

Maintenance students in Diplahan National High School, Poblacion, Diplahan, Zamboanga

Sibugay.

Incentive-Based Intervention

The literature suggests that student attendance and academic performance through

incentive-based do not need to be costly. For example, a successful incentive can include

extra recess time or homework passes. Class-wide incentives and rewards that encourage

friendly competition between classes also tend to be powerful, as students can encourage

their peers to attend school so that the entire group benefits from the competition. In particular,

Attendance Works, a national and state initiative promoting better policies and practices

around school attendance, provides some example ideas for student attendance incentives

and rewards (Fryer, 2011).

The attendance and academic performance incentive-based intervention from the

teachers include the following: positive comments, positive note home to parents, extra time

at the computer, homework pass, first-in-line privileges, cookie or snack coupons, individual

or team certificates, name on “attendance wall” in the classroom, chance to act as teacher’s

assistant, and pencils, pens, stickers, bookmarks, and others. On the other hand, the

attendance and academic performance incentive from the school administration include the
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following: recognition during morning announcements, certificate at a student assembly,

school supplies, food coupons redeemable in the canteen, food gift certificate for restaurants,

ice cream or a pizza party for the class with the best attendance and higher academic

performance, choice of donated items, such as movie tickets or gift certificates, traveling

trophy for the homeroom with best monthly attendance and higher academic performance,

parking space near building for the student with most improved attendance, and

breakfast/lunch with the principal, superintendent, school board president, and others.

Low-cost incentive generally works as well as high-cost, monetary incentive. Low-cost

incentive examples may include certificates, extra recess time, homework passes, and pizza

parties. These strategies are primarily used for targeting attendance among secondary school

students (Railsback, 2012).

Schools should avoid recognizing “perfect attendance” only and reward punctuality in

general. As any missed class time can impact student academic performance, attendance

should be recognized in a variety of ways. Programs that align the incentive-based intervention

of teachers, students, and parents have the greatest impact on direct outcomes (Fryer, 2011).

Based on the foregoing literature, it can be considered that Incentive-based

intervention is one way to improve the attendance and academic performance of the students.

The attendance and academic performance incentive-based intervention will include the

following: positive comments, positive note home to parents, first-in-line privileges, cookie or

snack coupons, individual or team certificates, name on “attendance wall” in the classroom,

chance to act as teacher’s assistant, and give pencils, pens, stickers, bookmarks, and others.

IV. Action Research Methods

A. Participants and/or Other Sources of Data and Information

This research will focus on the use of incentive-based intervention to improve the

attendance and academic performance of the Grade 12 Electrical Installation and

Maintenance (EIM) students for the school year 2018 – 2019. The records of their attendance
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will be taken from August 2018 up to January 2018 since the researcher is newly transferred

to Diplahan National High School, Poblacion, DIplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Moreover, the questions on the causes of absenteeism will be based on the Students

at Risk of Dropping-Out (SARDO) Form 1. The said research will start in August 2018 after

the first quarter of the school year up to January 2019 after the third quarter exam.

The researcher will employ a census sampling procedure. The respondents are the

fifty-nine (59) Grade 12 students from the Technical and Vocational Livelihood Track

specifically in the Industrial Arts strand which is specialized in Electrical Installation and

Maintenance of Diplahan National High School. Table 1 shows the number of respondents

who will undergo the intervention.

Table 1. The Respondents of the Research

No. of Respondents
Section
Before After

Grade 12

EIM 59 59

B. Data Gathering Methods

This research will employ quantitative – descriptive method since the objectives

of the researcher are to determine the causes of absenteeism, attendance and

academic performance results before and after the intervention, and the significant

improvement of the attendance and academic performance.

Moreover, the conduct of this study will be influenced by the three major

sources of the school, namely: (1) beginning of the school year (BOSY) report of the

School Form 2; (2) attendance status of the Grade 12 EIM students; and (3) the

performance of the Grade 12 EIM students.

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Gathering the data in this research is subdivided into three parts namely: (1) the

pre – conduct; (2) the actual conduct; and (3) the analysis. To show the data collection

process, the process chart is presented below.

Figure 1. The Flow Chart of the Incentive-based Intervention

START Attendance

Status
Factors that Academic Performance
cause (Before the (Before the Intervention)
absenteeism
Intervention)

Incentive-based
Action Plan
Intervention

Attendance Academic Performance

(After the Intervention)
Status

(After the

Intervention)

This research will adopt the use of survey research design. The Grade 12 EIM

students will constitute intervention before and after being conducted since the
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incentive-based intervention will be used in improving attendance and academic

performance.

The survey research design is usually used in securing opinions and trends

through the use of questionnaires and interviews (Prieto, 2017).

The researcher will ask permission to the school principal III to conduct a study.

The respondents will also be informed that the results of the survey questionnaire,

status of attendance, status of academic performance through incentive-based

intervention will be used for a research undertaking.

This research will use the survey questionnaire from the Guidance Counselor’s

SARDO Form 1. The survey questions deal with various situations, reasons, and

causes for being absent from the school.

Moreover, the attendance will be taken from the School Form 2 before and after

conducting the incentive-based intervention. Incentive-based intervention is a low-

cost, low risk, and easily implementable solution for schools and districts that wish to

improve attendance.

a. Validity

Validity is traditionally defined as "the degree to which a test measures what it

claims, or purports, to be measuring” (Prieto, 2017). The research survey questions

will be validated using content validity by three experts whom two (2) are Master

Teachers from the Senior High School Department while one (1) is Master Teacher

from the Junior High School Department.

Content validity is most often measured by experts or people who are familiar

with the construct being measured. The experts are asked to provide feedback on how

well each question measures the variable or construct under study. The experts make

judgments about the degree to which the items or statements match the test objectives

or specifications (Prieto, 2017).

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b. Reliability

Reliability indicates the accuracy or precision of the measuring instrument. It

refers to a condition where the measurement process yields consistent responses over

repeated measurements.

Internal consistency is used in assessing the reliability of questions measured on an

interval or ratio scale. The reliability estimate is based on a single form of the test

administered on a single occasion. One popular formula to measure internal

consistency is called Cronbach's alpha. This can be computed using manual and

electronic computations such as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

(SPSS). Cronbach alpha can range from 0 (poor reliability) to 1 (perfect reliability).

Anything above 0.70 is considered sufficiently reliable.

C. Data Analysis Plan

The data gathered will be analyzed using the following statistical tools:

1. Frequency and Mean. These will be used to get the factors that cause

absenteeism among Grade 12 EIM students.

2. Frequency. This will be used to get the frequency of attendance among Grade

12 EIM students when grouped into:

2.1. before the incentive-based intervention, and

2.2. after the incentive-based intervention.

3. Mean. This will be used to get the academic performance of the Grade 12 EIM

students when data are grouped into :

3.1. before the incentive-based intervention, and

3.2. after the incentive-based intervention.

4. Chi-square Test will be used to get the relationship between incentive-based

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Intervention and the attendance among the Grade 12 EIM students.

5. Chi-square Test will be used to get the relationship between incentive-based

Intervention and the academic performance among the Grade 12 EIM students.

6. T-Test will be used to get the difference between attendance and

academic performance among the Grade 12 EIM students

V. Action Research Work Plan and Timelines

Goal: To improve the attendance of Grade 12 students using the incentive-based

intervention.

Program Objective: To recommend actions to implement the incentive-based

intervention as an intervention to improve attendance in Diplahan National High School.

Table 2. Action Research Work Plan and Timelines

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Implementation Resources ( Funding/

Responsibilities Timeline ( By
Steps( What will be Time/ People /
(who will do) when?/Day /Month)
done) Materials

1.Submit result Researcher Basic Education August 31, 2018

Research Fund
(Action research) (BERF) to
School Fund
to the Principal. September 30, 2018
BERF
II. Show the out- School Fund

come and

intervention to other Researcher BERF October 26, 2018

School Fund
teachers.

III. Use the findings

in addressing the
Researcher BERF November 2018
problems on School Fund
to
Attendance.
March 2019
IV. Conduct an

action research
Researcher April 2019
similar intervention

to address a

specific problem.

VI. Cost Estimates

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A detailed breakdown of items with their corresponding costs is furnished. The items

and costs reasonably reflect the funding needs of the action research and adhere to the BERF

guidelines. The overall plan reflects the proponent's capacity to project-specific expenses that

the researcher be accountable for. Table 3 of the cost estimates are shown below.

Table 3. Financial Report

UNIT TOTAL
PARTICULARS QUANTITY UNIT
PRICE COST
Supplies and Materials Expenses

PAPER, BOND, PG, 70gsm (-5%), size: 210mm x

297mm 2 ream 105.00 210.00

MARKER, PERMANENT, bullet type, blue 10 piece 13.00 130.00

PAPER, PARCHMENT, size: 210 x 297mm, multi-

purpose 2 pack 98.00 196.00

NOTEBOOK, STENOGRAPHER, spiral, 40 leaves 60 piece 13.00 780.00

Travel Expenses (Domestic)

Freight (Acquisition of supplies) 200.00

Freight (Processing of Proposal To Division Office) 400.00

Communication Expenses
Postage 300.00

Internet Subscription Expenses (Prepaid) 500.00

Mobile 500.00
Printing and Publication Expenses

Printing (Reproduction) 500.00

Binding 500.00
Representation Expenses

Foods & Other Expenses Incurred during the conduct of research 1,000.00
Miscellaneous Expenses

Other Expenses related to research 1,000.00

TOTAL 7,216.00

VII. Plans for Dissemination/Advocacy

The researcher aims to disseminate and utilize the research with the full support of the

School Principal through existing mechanisms such as:

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Learning Action Cell (LAC). The LAC session may be maximized by sharing the result

of ongoing and/or completed research. This may serve as input for teachers in improving the

attendance of the students.

In-Service Training (INSET). The training design may include discussions on research results

and how this can be utilized.

School Governing Council (SGC). Research results and proposed action can be presented

during school planning and monitoring activities.

School Report Card (SRC). Intervention made as a result of action research may be

included in SRC.

VIII. References
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Adrias, D. (2003). Some Factors Affecting Academic Performance Among the Sophomore

High School Students in Mathematics of MSU-BC. Unpublished Thesis, MSU – Buug

Campus, Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay

Balfanz, R. (2012). The Importance of Being in Schools: A Report on Absenteeism in the

Nation’s Public Schools. Johns Hopkins University. http://www.every1graduates.org

Fryer, R. (2011). The Power and Pitfalls of Education Incentives. The Hamilton at the

Brookings Institute.

Maynard, B. (2012). Indicated Truancy Interventions: Effects on School Attendance Among

Chronic Truant Students. The Campbell Collaboration.

Murcia, L. (2015). Student and Pupil Absenteeism in School

National Center on Education Statistics (2009). Every School Day Counts – The Forum

Guide to Collecting and Using Attendance Data. http://nces.ed.gov.pdf

Prieto, N. (2017). Practical Research for Senior High School 2 Quantitative. Lodimar

Publishing, Inc.

Railsback, J. (2012). Increasing Student Attendance: Strategies from Research and

Practice. Northwest Regional Educational Practice.