Parental Involvement and Student Absenteeism among Junior High School Students: Evidence from Parental School Visits and PTA Meeting Attendance

Student absenteeism remains an important educational concern because irregular attendance disrupts learning continuity and may weaken academic progression. This study examined parental involvement and student absenteeism among junior high school students, with particular attention to parental or guardian school visits and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting attendance. A quantitative cross-sectional analytical design was used, drawing on data from 408 students. The instrument captured demographic characteristics, family relationships, parental involvement, absenteeism, and academic performance. Frequencies, percentages, and multiple linear regression were used for analysis at p < .05. Most students were under parental guardianship, and 97.6% reported good or very good relationships with their guardians. A total of 66.5% reported 10 or more parental or guardian school visits, and 77.0% indicated that their guardians attended PTA meetings. Nevertheless, 77.5% had been absent at least once, including 28.6% who reported six or more absences. School visits showed a negative but statistically nonsignificant association with absenteeism (B = -0.079, β = -0.060, p = .224), whereas PTA attendance (coded 1 = Yes, 0 = No) showed a statistically significant positive association with absenteeism (B = 2.156, β = .163, p = .001). The regression model was significant but explained a small proportion of variance in absenteeism (R = .167, R² = .028, F = 5.83, p = .003). The findings underscore the multidimensional nature of parental involvement and the importance of purposeful family-school communication, early attendance monitoring, and follow-up.