Teacher Absenteeism in Turkish Primary Schools: A Qualitative Perspective from School Principals*

Abstract

Article History: Received 11.06.2014 Received in revised form 11.07.2014 Accepted 18.07.2014 Available online 02.12.2014 Teacher absenteeism has been one of the significant factors that influence the quality of education. This article reports findings from research aimed at investigating teacher absenteeism in the context of Turkish primary schools. Results revealed that teachers displayed more absenteeism behaviors on a monthly basis. Results also indicated that the primary individual factors leading to absenteeism behaviors were health problems and family problems, on the other hand, the most important organizational factor leading to teacher absenteeism was negative school climate. Implications for teacher absenteeism were discussed. © 2014 IOJES. All rights reserved