Dissertation
Factors that contribute to chronic absenteeism post-pandemic, from the student perspective: an explanatory sequential mixed methods study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011480
Abstract
This study is an explanatory sequential mixed methods study that was designed to understand the factors that contribute to chronic absenteeism post-pandemic from recent US public high school graduates. The specific population of interest are high school graduates from the Smithfield Area School District or other US public-school districts, who graduated in 2024 or 2025 and were chronically absent for at least one year of high school. This explanatory sequential study used two instruments, a quantitative survey and a qualitative semi-structured individual interview. Ninety-five recent high school graduates completed the quantitative survey, and nine participants completed the qualitative semi-structured individual interview. Five findings emerged from the analysis: COVID-19 created a lasting shift in attendance norms, barriers to attendance were racially stratified and structural in nature, GPA moderated the influence of engagement, and connectedness was a universal influence across measured demographic groups. This study concludes that chronic absenteeism in this population was driven by structural conditions. Once established, absenteeism created compounding barriers, growing academic gaps, habituated disengagement, and shame. That made it more difficult to return to school over time. The protective factors students identified, adult and peer connectedness and diploma motivation, were universally present across all measured demographic groups. These findings have important implications for how schools respond to a support chronically absent students.
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Details
- Title
- Factors that contribute to chronic absenteeism post-pandemic, from the student perspective
- Creators
- Jason Falconio
- Contributors
- Cameron Kiosoglous (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- xv, 208 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022193096304721