Embracing change: from recalibration to radical overhaul for the field of school attendance
Open accessAbstract
In a world characterized by dynamic demographic shifts, rapid technological transformations, and evolving pedagogical practices, the need for reimagining school attendance and a relationship with education has become paramount. This Research Topic, boldly titled “The Unlearning of School Attendance: Ideas for Change,” compels us to challenge conventional thinking and working in this domain. The collection of 12 articles offers compelling opportunities for change, ranging from subtle recalibrations to radical overhauls, depending on the extent to which our current ideas and methods have grown outdated. This opening article serves as a thematic guide, curating the diverse prospects for transformation found within the collection. Four themes encourage us to reconceptualize school attendance and a relationship with education, while another four themes inspire new ways of working in this realm. Furthermore, we explore the pivotal role of the International Network for School Attendance (INSA) in facilitating change, as it strives to foster relationships with education, forge alliances among interested parties, and promote interdisciplinary research. As you engage with this article and the other 12 contributions in this collection, we invite you to reflect on your current ideas and methods, embracing the call for transformative change with compassion and a strong sense of purpose. Together, we can shape a future where school attendance and engagement with learning thrive in harmony with our evolving world.
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These legal measures were not questioned for their effectiveness in addressing root causes of SAPs.
“they were not questioned for their effectiveness in addressing root causes of SAPs (Heyne et al., 2024).”
From Their voices matter: student and professional perspectives on overcoming school attendance problems in the context of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties (2025) · cites this paper as Heyne et al., 2024
Section 2.8 contrasts positive interventions with punitive interventions, and section 2.4.1 discusses underlying influences on attendance problems. Neither says that legal measures went unquestioned for their effectiveness in addressing root causes. Searches for legal measures, sanctions, and effectiveness found no passage establishing that historical claim. (LLM, conf=0.72)
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Cites
School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004) · Review of Educational Research · doi:10.3102/00346543074001059 · Cited by 12,581 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Fredricks et al. (2004) describe the domains as follows.”
BackgroundStudent Engagement: What Is It? Why Does It Matter?
Finn, J. D., & Zimmer, K. S. (2012) · Handbook of Research on Student Engagement · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_5 · Cited by 1,139 · see citing works
Jingle, Jangle, and Conceptual Haziness: Evolution and Future Directions of the Engagement Construct
Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (2012) · Handbook of Research on Student Engagement · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_1 · Cited by 980 · see citing works
Toward an Understanding of Definitions and Measures of School Engagement and Related Terms
Jimerson, S. R., Campos, E., & Greif, J. L. (2003) · The California School Psychologist · doi:10.1007/bf03340893 · Cited by 811 · cited 1× · see citing works
“It is thus broader than constructs that are primarily focused on the school setting, like “school engagement”, “school attachment”, “school connectedness”, and other related terms (see Jimerson et al., 2003).”
BackgroundDifferentiation between school attendance problems: why and how?
Heyne, D., Gren-Landell, M., Melvin, G., & Gentle-Genitty, C. (2019) · Cognitive and Behavioral Practice · doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.03.006 · Cited by 339 · see citing works
Self-citationKearney, C. A., Gonzálvez, C., Graczyk, P. A., & Fornander, M. J. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02222 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Knollmann, M., Reissner, V., & Hebebrand, J. (2019) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1204-2 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
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Enderle, C., Kreitz-Sandberg, S., Backlund, Å., Isaksson, J., Fredriksson, U., & Ricking, H. (2024) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2024.1405395 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Enderle, C. (2025) · School Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s12310-025-09764-z · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“The answer may lie in exploring young learners’ experiences to uncover the complexities behind what strengthens or weakens their relationship with education (Heyne et al., 2024).”
Enderle, C., Kotschy, L., Ricking, H., & Kreitz-Sandberg, S. (2025) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1627098 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
O’Toole, C., & Ćirić, T. (2024) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2024.1456388 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Heyne, D., Gentle-Genitty, C., Melvin, G. A., Keppens, G., O’Toole, C., & McKay-Brown, L.
- Affiliations
- Deakin University (AU)
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- Tilburg University (NL)
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Heyne, David
- Venue
- Frontiers in Education
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2024-01-08
- Volume
- 8
- ISSN
- 2504-284X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4390666491
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4
- FWCI
- 24.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Education (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Digital Commons @ Butler University (Butler University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Youth Substance Use and School Attendance
- Social Sciences › Education › Parental Involvement in Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Education Pedagogy and Practices
- Keywords
- school attendance, student engagement, interdisciplinary research, educational change
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