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

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.