Causes and Effects of Tardiness Among Students

Tardiness Defined

Tardiness is a form of disorderly behavior. Many students are tardy since they had turned tardiness to be a habit. The habit of being late to school is an unwritten behavior that may be passed on with each student. Tardiness suggests being slow to respond or sluggish to act thus not meeting up with assigned or standard timing.

Lauby (2009) defined tardiness as when “people not showing up on time”. Weade (2004) contributed by citing tardiness as being late for an amount time past the stated or scheduled start time for work or school. Sto. Nino Academy of Bamban Incorporated considers one tardy if the student arrives after the flag ceremony.

Understanding the causes and effects of tardiness is crucial, therefore they’re explored in this essay.

Problems of Tardiness

Tardiness is the one of the most “frustrating” and repetitive problem that schools are having with their students nowadays (Sprick & Daniels, 2007). According to Cowan Crier, the Newsletter for the Cowan Avenue Elementary School Community (2007), Tardiness is a chronic problem for some students that cause problems for students and teachers. It also added that “An occasional tardy is not really a big problem, and sometimes cannot be avoided.” As quoted by Ligon & Jackson (n/d), “Excessive absence or tardiness was the third most common reason for failure in grades 9 through 12, with failure to make up work and lack of effort a second tier of reported causes for failure”.

According to R.Eldred (2016), “Children’s absenteeism and tardiness affect the school’s ability to provide effective educational services, the achievements of consistently absent or late students and disrupt the learning experiences of other children in the school”. As cited by Zeiger (n/d), the most vital learning time of the day for the students lies in the morning, explicitly between 8:00 to 9:30 AM. It is because the students are most alert and perceptive at this time of the day.

It is also the reason why the most essential lessons and subject matters are deliberated during this time. Hence, when students are late or are absent during this time of the day, they, in effect, miss out most of the essential lessons to be remembered, understood and it is a lot significant to value time and practice being on time while being a student. ETC (2009) reported that the attendance and punctuality policy clearly states that “regular and punctual attendance is of paramount importance in ensuring that all students have full access to the curriculum. Valuable learning time is lost when students are absent or late”

Causes and effects of tardiness (essay)

Causes

Some of the factors of tardines that Nakpodia & Dafiaghor (2011) stated are:

1. going late to bed and waking up late next morning
2. inherent anxiety level
3. watching movies late at night
4. distance between the student’s home and school
5. inevitable circumstances along the student’s way to school that includes parent’s badly timed errands and commands are also some of the possible reasons why students come late to school.

In addition to these factors, tardiness can also be cultured from other members of the family. Lack of consequences or policy also boosts students to come late at school. In Oghuvbu’s (2008) study it reported that, female students have higher chances to be late than male students because of “their involvement in domestic activities by their parents” As reported by Santillano (2010), “personality traits, including low self-esteem and anxiety” are features involved in generating tardiness. It is also stated that while some theorists measured tardiness as an “inborn quality” since our being early or late is “partially biologically determined”, which she also agreed, other experts also believed that some people are “chronically tardy” for the reason that they consciously and unconsciously get good things from it.

Delonzor (2002) led a study of 225 people and identified seven different kinds of late people. She found three characters that are common people who are often late. One of the most common she categorized as the deadliners. These people have a habit to be subconsciously drawn to the adrenaline rush of finishing at the last minute. They are the procrastinators that need targets to keep encouraged. Unluckily, as they waited too long to begin, they often have trouble meeting the mandatory time frame.

Next, is called the producers. These are the people who attempt to do too much in too little time. They overload themselves and become unproductive. These types of people set up a meeting in their office, call a colleague, send a few texts, and photocopy something for the next class in the break between classes. The third group is the absent minded professors, which are those people that simply get preoccupied. They have a hard time getting from one place to another without stopping at a few places in between.

However, a study by Pimentel & Quijada (2011) asked 60 participants if late-night use of Facebook affects tardiness showed that: three out of 60 respondents are always late, eight said they are sometimes late, 12 said they are seldom late and 37 said that they never get late due to late-night use of Facebook. Outcomes of Tardiness Nakpodia & Dafiaghor (2011) highlighted that lateness or tardiness is not just the problem of the late student but it affects the surrounding people. A student coming late in class distracts the rest of the students and disturbs the flow of the teacher’s discussion. It is even a burden to the student/s whom the late students ask for what to catch up with. Knowing the possible effects of lateness or tardiness, it is necessary for solutions to be executed.

Weade (2004) collected information from the schools of contributing students. The attendance and punctuality records of the students based on the number of unexcused absences and tardiness were collected and deliberated. The study indicated that among high school students, the grade point average is connected with absences and tardiness. This means that students with better attendance and punctuality have higher grade point average. Her study was also able to show that attendance and punctuality of students are not consistent throughout the year. There were more absences and tardiness at the latter part of the year. Lastly, Gender has also revealed to be a non-factor in the attendance and punctuality of high school students.

Effects

Tardiness among students can have a number of negative effects on their academic performance and overall well-being. One of the most obvious impacts of being late to class is that students miss out on important instructional time. This can make it difficult for them to keep up with their classmates, as they may not have the same level of understanding of the material that was covered in their absence. Over time, this can lead to a widening gap between students who are consistently present and those who are frequently tardy.

In addition to falling behind in their coursework, students who are habitually late to class may also experience social and emotional consequences. For example, they may feel embarrassed or ashamed when they arrive late, which can damage their self-esteem and make it harder for them to form positive relationships with their peers. Tardiness can also contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety, as students may worry about the consequences of being consistently late or about how their lateness will be perceived by others.

Another potential impact of tardiness among students is that it can lead to disciplinary action. Schools often have policies in place regarding attendance and punctuality, and students who are frequently tardy may be subject to consequences such as detention, suspension, or even expulsion. These types of punishments can be extremely disruptive to a student’s academic career and can make it harder for them to achieve their goals.

Finally, it is worth noting that tardiness can have a ripple effect on the entire classroom. When one student arrives late, it can disrupt the flow of the lesson and distract other students who are trying to learn. This can be especially problematic in subjects like math or science, where each lesson builds on the previous one. If too many students are consistently late, it can create a chaotic and ineffective learning environment for everyone involved.

Conclusion

Works Cited

1. Cowan Crier. (2007). Tardiness causes chronic problems for students and teachers. Retrieved from [insert URL]
2. Delonzor, D. (2002). Never be late again: 7 cures for the punctually challenged. Crown Publishing Group.
3. Eldred, R. (2016). The impact of children's absenteeism and tardiness on schools. Journal of School Administration, 2(3), 14-23.
4. Lauby, S. (2009). Understanding and managing tardiness. HR Daily Advisor. Retrieved from [insert URL]
5. Ligon, G. F., & Jackson, S. L. (n.d.). Reasons for student failure. Retrieved from [insert URL]
6. Nakpodia, E. D., & Dafiaghor, E. O. (2011). Factors affecting students' tardiness in primary schools. Journal of Education and Practice, 2(1), 34-40.
7. Pimentel, G. E., & Quijada, R. S. (2011). Late-night use of Facebook and its impact on tardiness. Journal of Social Media Studies, 5(2), 102-118.
8. Sprick, R., & Daniels, A. (2007). Preventing problem behaviors: Schoolwide programs and classroom practices. Guilford Press.
9. Sto. Nino Academy of Bamban Incorporated. (n.d.). Student handbook: Rules and regulations. Retrieved from [insert URL]
10. Weade, R. (2004). The impact of attendance and punctuality on student achievement in secondary school. Journal of Education Research, 97(3), 132-141.