Exploring The Dynamics of Unexcused Teacher Absenteeism in Acet Centres in The City of Johannesburg: A Qualitative Study

Teacher‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ absenteeism has been the main factor that has compromised the quality and continuity of education in low- and middle-income countries, over the years; however, its occurrences in the Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET) have not been significantly discussed. The main purpose of this qualitative research is to identify the factors and their relationships that explain unexcused teacher absenteeism in ACET centres in Johannesburg. Using a phenomenological approach, it investigates how socio-economic conditions, organisational cultures, management inefficiencies, and the intricacies of local environments impact the availability of teachers in adult education projects through interviews conducted with centre managers, lecturers, and the support staff. Using Organisational Role Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as the lenses, the paper exposes the intricacies that influence organisational role behaviour at the different layers of a system. It points to the fact that such behaviour is influenced by factors ranging from the most individual to the systemic one. As a matter of fact, these factors are inclusive of near destitution, psychological burnout, lack of role clarity, absence of monitoring mechanisms, shortage in the skill of the managerial staff, and the educational sector being the least favoured in terms of national priorities. Findings provide the opportunities for South Africa to better understand the dynamics of the adult education workforce and also underline the importance of the integrated policy and management reforms.