Institutional time and collective behavior: end-of-week school absenteeism as a social pattern

This study examines end-of-week school absenteeism as a temporally structured social phenomenon shaped by institutional time arrangements and shared social expectations. Using a mixed-methods design, the research draws on data from 411 teachers, students, and parents across several regions in Saudi Arabia. Quantitative analysis using the Relative Importance Index (RII) and qualitative thematic analysis identified eleven interrelated factors influencing absenteeism, including cumulative weekly fatigue, the organization of the school week, socially coordinated absences, digital communication practices, weak institutional supervision, and disengaging school environments. The findings show that institutional time structures and collective expectations surrounding the final day of the school week exert a strong influence on attendance behavior. These results suggest that end-of-week absenteeism should be understood not as isolated non-compliance but as a patterned social practice emerging from the interaction between institutional time regimes and everyday social life. The study contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on temporality, collective behavior, and participation within educational institutions.