Date

8-2014

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Andrea Beam

Keywords

student achievement, teacher absenteeism

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership | Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration | Teacher Education and Professional Development

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between teacher absenteeism and student achievement in math and language arts in the rural environment. Classical Economic Theory was used as a foundation in combination with Choice Theory and The Model of Learning to examine the role of the teacher and how the chronically absent teacher impacts the quality of learning for the student. The nature of substitute teaching was reviewed as well as how a break in continuity of instruction, caused by the chronically absent teacher, affects the overall quality of the educational environment. The amount of time teachers are absent from instructional duties and the reasons teachers miss school were examined. A correlational research design was utilized to determine if a relationship between teacher absenteeism and student achievement based on archived Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) data exists. The study specifically examined how student attainment, in the areas of math and language arts, may be related to teacher absenteeism and how teachers' job satisfaction relates to teacher absenteeism. Results suggest a weak correlation between absenteeism and student achievement and a general feeling of approval in the measure of job satisfaction.

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