María Pérez Marco, Andrea Fuster Rico, Luana Sorrenti
La asistencia escolar regular resulta esencial para el desarrollo académico, social y emocional de los adolescentes. Bajo el constructor de problemas de asistencia escolar, se agrupan diversas manifestaciones de inasistencia, destacando el absentismo injustificado por su elevada prevalencia, afectando aproximadamente al 30% del alumnado a nivel internacional. Dentro del contexto escolar, el clima percibido y, en particular, el apoyo del profesorado, adquieren un papel clave en la prevención de la no asistencia por razones injustificadas. En este marco, el presente estudio analiza las diferencias en la percepción del apoyo docente entre estudiantes con altos y bajos niveles de absentismo, así como su capacidad predictiva para anticipar la presencia de elevados niveles de inasistencia. ¿Con una muestra de 724 estudiantes españoles, se evaluó el apoyo percibido del profesorado mediante el cuestionario What’s Happening In This School? (WHITS) y la no asistencia escolar por faltas injustificadas a través del Assessing Reasons for School Non-attendance (ARSNA). Los resultados revelaron que los adolescentes con mayores niveles de absentismo injustificado percibían un apoyo docente significativamente menor, y que dicha percepción predecía una mayor probabilidad de presentar inasistencia injustificada. Estos hallazgos subrayan la función protectora del apoyo docente frente al absentismo y su influencia positiva en el bienestar estudiantil. Se destaca la necesidad de promover estrategias educativas que fortalezcan los vínculos afectivos y socioemocionales entre profesorado y alumnado. A pesar de las limitaciones inherentes al diseño transversal y al uso de autoinformes, los resultados refuerzan la importancia de incluir la mejora del clima escolar, y en particular del apoyo docente, en las políticas de prevención del absentismo injustificado en contextos educativos.
Regular school attendance is essential for adolescents’ academic, social, and emotional development. The concept of school attendance problems encompasses various manifestations of absenteeism, with absenteeism standing out due to its high prevalence, affecting approximately 30% of students internationally. Within the school environment, perceived school climate, and specifically, teacher support, plays a crucial role in preventing absenteeism. In this context, the present study aims to examine differences in perceived teacher support between students with high and low levels of absenteeism, as well as the predictive value of this perception for identifying students at greater risk. Using a sample of 724 Spanish students, teacher support was assessed through the What’s Happening In This School? (WHITS) questionnaire, and unjustified absenteeism through the Assessing Reasons for School Non-attendance (ARSNA) scale. Results indicated that students with higher levels of unjustified absenteeism perceived significantly lower levels of teacher support. Moreover, lower perceived support predicted a higher likelihood of reporting unjustified school non-attendance. These findings highlight the protective role of teacher support against absenteeism and its relevance in fostering student well-being. The study emphasizes the need to promote educational strategies aimed at strengthening positive and socioemotional bonds between teachers and students. Despite limitations, such as the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported measures, the results reinforce the importance of incorporating teacher support into school policies to prevent unjustified absenteeism effectively.