Signature-Based Accountability and Chronic Absenteeism Among Secondary School Students: A Behavioral Approach to Attendance

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Learners Official Signature Sheet (LOSS) in reducing chronic absenteeism among at-risk secondary school students in a Philippine rural context. Employing a quantitative action research design grounded in Pavlov’s classical conditioning theory, the study involved 10 purposively selected Grade 10 students identified as Students at Risk of Dropping Out (SARDO). Absenteeism data were collected from School Form 2 records before and after the intervention, analyzed using mean percentages, standard deviations, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A validated scale categorized absenteeism levels, showing a decline from moderate (M = 46.25%) to low (M = 39.33%) post-intervention, with a significant difference (Z = -2.8031, p = 0.05). The intervention fostered accountability through structured monitoring. Findings advocate for scalable behavioral strategies to combat absenteeism globally, offering actionable recommendations to enhance student retention in resource-constrained settings.