This overview was developed in collaboration with researcher David Heyne of Excellence in Attendance Support, who conducted an international literature review on behalf of the OECD. The results are organised according to Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, which describes how the social environment influences children’s development.
Bronfenbrenner’s model
This model focuses on various layers surrounding the child:
- The microsystem comprises direct environments such as the family and school, where daily interactions take place.
- The mesosystem concerns the connections between these environments, such as cooperation between parents and the school.
- The exosystem consists of indirect influences such as the media, healthcare and neighbourhood facilities.
- The macrosystem refers to broader societal factors, such as cultural, political and economic values.
- The chronosystem describes how these influences change over time, for example as a child grows older or societal circumstances change.
Interaction of factors inside and outside the school
The overview makes clear that school attendance is determined by a complex interplay of factors inside and outside the school. There is no single solution; effective approaches require cooperation between pupils, parents, schools and community partners.
Schools can use this insight to strengthen their own role and develop targeted policies. A practical guide for this is the pyramid framework for school attendance, which promotes a whole-school approach. The Support Centre for Appropriate Education also published the guide Getting started with school attendance, containing practical advice for collectively and structurally improving pupils’ attendance and engagement.
This article is a summary. Read the full article here.