Factors Contributing to Truancy among Students:  A Correlation between Predictors

Zahari Ishak; Low Suet Fin

Zahari Ishak Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
Low Suet Fin Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Keywords: Truancy, teacher personality, peers, school and family

Abstract

Truancy has been a universal unresolved educational problem in countries that made schooling a compulsory routine for children age seven years and older. The objective of this study is to identify the contributory factors of truancy and the correlation between the factors among secondary school students. The sample comprised 472 truants from Malaysia who have been routinely absent from school for 10 days to more than 40 days per year. Results demonstrated that teachers personality, students attitudes toward school, environment in school, school administration, teachers teaching, and environment outside school, peers and family are significant contributory factors of truancy. Significant positive correlations between all the factors causing truancy were found. Correlation between teachers teaching and teachers personality was the highest whereas the lowest correlation was revealed between school administration and family.