Truancy among Undergraduate Students: An Exploratory Study

The study was conducted to investigate the opinion of truants about their teachers, their academic achievement and their reasons for skipping classes. It also investigated gender differences among truants in terms of their opinion about their teachers. Purposive sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 30 truants with an equal number of boys and girls. Traunts were identified by their respective teachers. The Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (1965) form C was used to measure the opinion of truants about their teachers. One sample t test was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that truants carry a bad opinion about their teachers. They also indicated that truants have an average academic achievement. However, the study indicated no significant gender differences among truants in terms of their opinion about their teachers. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the teachers’ boring teaching style is the most frequently reported reason for skipping classes. Truants need counseling to change their perceptions regarding their teachers’ attitude as they believe that teachers exercise their authority too much and they give a hard time to students. The study can be beneficial for teachers, parents and educationists as it highlights the reasons behind truancy, opinions of truants about their teachers, their academic achievements and the need for counseling to modify their perceptions about their teachers.