Student absenteeism as instructional disruption: effects on teacher well-being in Chinese primary schools

This mixed-methods study examined how student absenteeism shapes teachers’ professional well-being in Chinese primary schools. Using survey data from 1250 teachers and interviews with 18 volunteers in urban and suburban Chengdu, we investigated associations between absenteeism, perceived instructional disruption, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and work engagement. The perceived impact of absenteeism, rather than absenteeism frequency, was moderately associated with greater emotional exhaustion and modestly associated with lower job satisfaction and work engagement. Qualitative analyses showed that recurrent absences disrupted lesson flow, generated substantial invisible labour in reteaching and pastoral care, and undermined teachers’ sense of accomplishment, particularly in exam-oriented and hierarchically governed schools. Drawing on job demands – resources and classroom ecology perspectives, the study conceptualises absenteeism as a chronic classroom condition that reshapes teachers’ work. The findings highlight the need for school-level systems that distribute responsibility for supporting returning students and integrate attendance governance with teacher well-being.