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Category: Procedure

Description: Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and understand the extent of research that exists on professionals’ attitudes towards school attendance problems. Introduction: School attendance problems (SAPs) describe difficulties attending school or absenteeism from school due to various reasons (Heyne et al., 2019; Kearney, 2016). Students who do not attend school regularly are at risk for unfortunate development in academic, language and social-emotional competencies (Allison et al., 2019; Ansari & Pianta, 2019; Gottfried, 2014; Kearney & Graczyk, 2014; Rocque et al., 2017), as well as for longer-term consequences, including school dropout (Kearney & Graczyk, 2014), delinquency (Rocque et al., 2017), economic deprivation and psychiatric problems in adulthood (Kearney & Bensaheb, 2006; Tyrrell, 2005). School-based staff such as educators, psychologists and social workers are in a frontline position to be the first to notice change in attendance, and often rest with the responsibility for identifying students with SAPs (Kearney & Bates, 2005; Salemi & Brown, 2003). Due to this, the attitudes or perceptions of frontline professionals is especially important as they may influence how students with SAPs are encountered (Torrens Armstrong et al., 2011). Inclusion criteria: This scoping review will consider English, peer reviewed, empirical research that qualitatively, quantitatively or by mixed methods investigates different professionals’ attitudes (or equivalent/similar terms) towards school attendance problems. Systematic reviews and grey literature that meet the inclusion criteria may be considered for inclusion. Keywords for searches: school attendance problems; school refusal; truancy; professionals’ attitudes; teacher attitudes; scoping review