Influence of Absenteeism on Students' Academic Performance in Arabic and Islamic Studies in Senior Secondary Schools in Asa LGA, Kwara State.

Abstract

Student absenteeism is a significant obstacle to effective teaching, learning, and academic achievement in various educational settings. Several factors contribute to absenteeism among senior secondary school students. This research explored the influence of absenteeism on academic performance in Arabic and Islamic studies among students in Asa LGA, Kwara state. Two research questions were raised to guide this study. The population comprised all public senior secondary students of Arabic and Islamic studies in Asa LGA. 100 students were randomly selected for the Study. The research adopted a survey type of quantitative research design. A self-constructed questionnaire titled ‘Influence of Absenteeism on Students’ Academic Performance Questionnaire IAAPQ’ was utilised to generate responses from the respondents. The instrument was validated by experts and was subjected to pilot study for reliability. Descriptive statistics of percentages, mean, standard deviation, and mean ranking was used to summarise respondents' demographic information, answer research questions. The key findings of this study revealed that the causes of absenteeism among students studying Arabic and Islamic studies in senior secondary schools in Asa LGA include; peer pressure or involvement in non academic activities, feeling of being disengaged or uninterested in the class, mental health issues (e.g. stress, depression), personal or family health issue, financial difficulties at home, transportation challenges, lack of parental supervision or support. The result also showed that the impacts of absenteeism among students studying Arabic and Islamic studies in senior secondary schools in Asa LGA include; difficulty in understanding of the subject matter in Arabic and Islamic studies, struggle to complete assignments on time, inability to keep up with lessons, lack of consistency in students' academic progress in Arabic and Islamic studies learning, Absenteeism hinders students' ability to engage in classroom activities and discussions, leading to lower academic performance, Students who miss school regularly experience a decline in their academic motivation and Frequent absenteeism leads to poor performance in test and exams. Based on these findings, it was recommended, among others, that School Administrators should develop and implement strategies to identify and address underlying causes of absenteeism, provide counseling services and support systems to help students overcome personal and family challenges that may contribute to absenteeism, teachers should use innovative and interactive teaching methods to make Arabic and Islamic studies classes more engaging and interesting, provide individualised support and guidance to students who are struggling to keep up with lessons due to absenteeism.