Rising student absenteeism may be hurting teacher job satisfaction

As student absenteeism reaches record highs in schools across the United States, new research finds that student absences are linked to lower teacher job satisfaction, raising concerns that this may exacerbate growing teacher shortages. The findings were published in Educational Researcher.

The study, by Michael Gottfried and Colby Woods at the University of Pennsylvania, and Arya Ansari at The Ohio State University, is the first to examine the connection between student absenteeism and teacher satisfaction.

Using nationally representative data from the U.S. Department of Education on 2,370 kindergarten teachers, the researchers found that when teachers have more absent students, they report feeling less satisfied with their jobs. This was true for new teachers as well as more experienced teachers.

“Our findings show that a lack of good student attendance has the potential to detract from the satisfaction teachers get from instructing and helping their students learn and grow,” said Gottfried, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

“This has important implications for the current educational landscape. Addressing absenteeism is critical not only for improving student outcomes, but also for bolstering the teacher workforce, which faces a host of challenges.”

The study found that student absenteeism had no link to teachers’ feelings about other aspects of school, such as their teaching ability or school climate—just job satisfaction. There was also no indication that teachers who were less satisfied to begin with were being assigned to the students who were more likely to be absent.

“We show that student absenteeism emerges as a teacher challenge, and so there is a need for a more well-rounded approach to addressing the effects of absenteeism in the classroom,” Gottfried said. “Approaches need to go beyond only those that are focused on students. Broader efforts will have the potential to yield positive impacts across teachers, contributing to a more satisfied and engaged workforce.”

Examples of effective efforts include investing in interventions that strengthen teachers’ relationships with students and families, implementing trauma-informed teaching, and professional development to support the diverse needs of students, including those at risk of absenteeism.

Absenteeism initiatives could also improve working conditions for teachers. For example, reducing administrative burdens and increasing staffing support to better address absenteeism-related challenges could bolster more regular school attendance and, in turn, improve satisfaction, according to Gottfried.