Through a mixed methods approach, this article explores young people’s perceptions about critical issues in secondary school and the improvements being made to prevent dropout risk. The empirical data were gathered from a representative sample of young people (14–24) in a socioeconomically disadvantaged region in the European Union. A principal component analysis assessed the most significant indicators that influence young people’s scholastic experience and effectiveness of education. A content analysis was applied to identify the key critical issues and possible strategies to support young people’s school satisfaction. The findings reveal a set of key indicators: interpersonal relationships, learning process, teacher role, school management, the impact of new technologies.
AgasistiT.BonomiF.SibianoP. (2014). Measuring the ‘managerial’ efficiency of public schools: A case study in Italy. International Journal of Educational Management, 28(2), 120–124. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-02-2013-0032
2.
AgasistiT.LongobardiS. (2016). Equality of educational opportunities, schools’ characteristics and resilient students: An empirical study of EU-15 countries using OECD-PISA 2009 data. Social Indicators Research, 134(3), 917–953. https://10.1007/s11205-016-1464-5
3.
AldridgeJ. M.McChesneyK. (2018). The relationships between school climate and adolescent mental health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Educational Research, 88, 121–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2018.01.012
4.
AliverniniF.LucidiF. (2011). Relationship between social context, self-efficacy, motivation, academic achievement, and intention to drop out of high school: A longitudinal study. The Journal of Educational Research, 104(4), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671003728062
5.
Al-OsailA. M.Al-SheikhM. H.Al-OsailE. M.Al-GhamdiM. A.Al-HawasA. M.Al-BahussainA. S.Al-DajaniA. A. (2015). Is Cronbach’s alpha sufficient for assessing the reliability of the OSCE for an internal medicine course?Bio Medical Center Research Notes, 8, 582. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-015-1533-x
6.
AnsongD.OkumubM.BowenaG. L.WalkeraA. M.EisensmithaS. R. (2017). The role of parent, classmate, and teacher support in student engagement: Evidence from Ghana. International Journal of Educational Development, 54, 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.03.010
BasitT. N. (2009). White British; dual heritage; British Muslim: Young Britons’ conceptualisation of identity and citizenship. British Educational Research Journal, 35(5), 723–743. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920802688747
9.
BatiniF.BartolucciM. (2016). Dispersione scolastica. Ascoltare i protagonisti per comprenderla e prevenirla [School dropout. Listen to the protagonists to understand and prevent it]. FrancoAngeli.
10.
BellocF.MaruottiA.PetrellaL. (2011). How individual characteristics affect university students drop-out: A semiparametric mixed-effects model for an Italian case study. Journal of Applied Statistics, 38(10), 2225–2239. https://doi.org/10.1080/02664763.2010.545373
11.
BerlinguerL. (2001). La scuola nuova [The new school]. Laterza.
CRENoS. (2020). Economia della Sardegna. 27° Rapporto, Arkadia, Cagliari.
16.
De WitteK.CabusS.ThyssenG.GrootW.van den BrinkH. M. (2013). A critical review of the literature on school dropout. Educational Research Review, 10, 13–28.
17.
DronkersJ.RobertP. (2008). Differences in Scholastic achievement of public, private government-dependent, and private independent schools a cross-national analysis. Educational Policy, 22(4), 541–577. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904807307065
18.
DuchesneS.VitaroF.LaroseS.TremblayR. E. (2008). Trajectories of anxiety during elementary-school years and the prediction of high school noncompletion. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 1134–1146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-007-9224-0
19.
ErdoguF.ErdoguE. (2015). The impact of access to ICT, student background and school/home environment on academic success of students in Turkey: An international comparative analysis. Computers & Education, 82, 26–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.10.023
20.
ErtesvågS. K.RolandE. (2015). Professional cultures and rates of bullying. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 26, 195–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2014.944547
21.
EscofierB.PagesJ. (1988). Analyses factorielles simples et multiples [Univariate and multivariate factor analysis]. Dunod.
22.
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. (2014). Policy handbook. Access to and participation in continuous vocational education and training (CVET) in Europe (CEDEFOP Working Paper No. 25). Publications Office of the European Union. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/6125_en.pdf
23.
European Commission. (2010). A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
FredericoM.WhitesideM. (2016). Building school, family, and community partnerships: Developing a theoretical framework. Australian Social Work, 69(1), 51–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2015.1042488
30.
GeX.LandS. M. (2003). Scaffolding students’ problem-solving processes in an ill-structured task using question prompts and peer interactions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504836
31.
Gil-FloresJ.Rodríguez-SanteroJ.Torres-GordilloJ. J. (2017). Factors that explain the use of ICT in secondary-education classrooms: The role of teacher characteristics and school infrastructure. Computers in Human Behavior, 68, 441–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.057
GrouzetF. M. E.OtisN.PelletierL. G. (2006). Longitudinal cross-gender factorial invariance of the Academic Motivation Scale. Structural Equation Modeling, 13, 73–98. http://doi.org/10.1207/s15328007sem1301_4
34.
GunstoneP.FenshamR.GunstoneR. (2013). The content of science: A constructivist approach to its teaching and learning. Routledge.
35.
GwynethO. J. (2015). Learning to teach design and technology in the secondary school: A companion to school experience. Routledge.
36.
HardreP. L.ReeveJ. (2003). A motivational model of rural students’ intentions to persist in, versus drop out of, high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 347–356. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.2.347
37.
HebronJ. (2018). School connectedness and the primary to secondary school transition for young people with autism spectrum conditions. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 396–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12190
38.
HeyvaertM.MaesB.OnghenaP. (2013). Mixed methods research synthesis: Definition, framework, and potential. Quality & Quantity, 47(2), 659–676. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9538-6
39.
HoutveenA.GriftW.CreemersB. (2004). Effective school improvement in mathematics. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 15(3–4), 337–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450512331383242
JenningsP. A.GreenbergM. T. (2008). The prosocial classroom: Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to student and classroom outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 491–525. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430832569
43.
JimersonS.AndersonG.WhippleA. (2002). Winning the battle and losing the war: Examining the relation between grade retention and dropping out of high school. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 441–457. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10046
44.
KimY.SherradenM.ClancyM. (2013). Do mothers’ educational expectations differ by race and ethnicity, or socioeconomic status?Economics of Education Review, 33, 82–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.09.007
45.
KuhlemeierH.HemkerB. (2007). The impact of computer use at home on students’ Internet skills. Computers & Education, 49(2), 460–480. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2005.10.004
46.
LamoteC.Van DammeJ.Van Den NoortgateW.SpeybroeckS.BoonenT.De BildeJ. (2013). Dropout in secondary education: An application of a multilevel discrete-time hazard model accounting for school changes. Quality & Quantity, 47(5), 2425–2446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-012-9662-y
47.
LeeV.BurkamD. (2003). Dropping out of high school: The role of school organization and structure. American Educational Research Journal, 40, 353–393. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312040002353
48.
LémonieY.LightR.SarremejaneP. (2016). Teacher–student interaction, empathy and their influence on learning in swimming lessons. Sport, Education and Society, 21(8), 1249–1268. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2015.1005068
49.
LentR. W.SchmidtJ.SchmidtL. (2006). Collective efficacy beliefs in student work teams: Relation to self-efficacy, cohesion, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(1), 73–84. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.04.001
50.
LeónM.PavoliniE. (2014). ‘Social investment’ or back to ‘familism’: The impact of the economic crisis on family and care policies in Italy and Spain. South European Society and Politics, 19(3), 353–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2014.948603
51.
MarksG. (2007). Do schools matter for early school leaving? Individual and school influences in Australia. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 18, 429–450. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450701712528
52.
MartinA. (2008). Enhancing student motivation and engagement: The effects of a multidimensional intervention. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33, 239–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.11.003
53.
MasciC.GeraintJ.AgasistiT. (2018). Student and school performance across countries: A machine learning approach. European Journal of Operational Research, 16, 1072–1085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.02.031
54.
MenesesJ.MominóJ. M. (2012). Quality schooling in the Network Society: A community approach through the everyday use of the internet. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 23(3), 327–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2012.662156
NolkemperD.AydinH.KniggeM. (2019). Teachers’ stereotypes about secondary school students: The case of Germany. Quality & Quantity, 53, 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-018-0723-8
60.
OrfieldG.LeeC. (2007). Historic reversals, accelerating resegregation, and the need for new integration strategies. UCLA Civil Rights Project/proyecto Derechos Civiles.
61.
PalettaA.BezzinaC. (2016). Governance and leadership in public schools: Opportunities and challenges facing school leaders in Italy. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 15(4), 524–542. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2016.1181186
PattonM. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE.
65.
PiantaR. C.AllenmJ. P. (2008). Building capacity for positive youth development in secondary classrooms: Changing teachers’ interactions with students. In ShinnM.YoshikawaH. (Eds.), Toward positive youth development: Transforming schools and community programs (pp. 21–39). Oxford University Press.
66.
RambergJ.LåftmanS. B.AlmquistY. B.ModinB. (2019). School effectiveness and students’ perceptions of teacher caring: A multilevel study. Improving Schools, 22(1), 55–71. /doi.org/10.1177/1365480218764693
67.
ReamR. K.RumbergerR. W. (2008). Student engagement, peer social capital, and school dropout among Mexican American and non-Latino White students. Sociology of Education, 81, 109–139. http://doi.org/10.1177/003804070808100201
RicardN. C.PelletierL. G. (2016). Dropping out of high school: The role of parent and teacher self-determination support, reciprocal friendships and academic motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 44–45, 32–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2015.12.003
70.
RipamontiE.BarberisS. (2018). The effect of cultural capital on high school dropout: An investigation in the Italian provinces. Social Indicators Research, 139(3), 1257–1279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1754-6
RossM. (1989). Relation of implicit theories to the construction of personal histories. Psychological Review, 96(2), 341–357. http://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.96.2.341
74.
RumbergerR. W. (2004). What can be done to reduce the dropout rate? In OrfiedG. (Ed.), Dropouts in America: Confronting the graduation rate crisis (pp. 131–155). Harvard Education Press.
75.
RyanA. M.PatrickH. (2001). The classroom social environment and changes in adolescents’ motivation and engagement during middle school. American Educational Research Journal, 38(2), 437–460. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038002437
SerpieriR.VatrellaS. (2017). Collaborative leadership and teachers wellbeing. Research strategies and school governance in the Italian education field. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 9(1), 174–198. https://doi.org/10.14658/pupj-ijse-2017-1-9
78.
SolgaH. (2002). ‘Stigmatization by negative selection’: Explaining less-educated people’s decreasing employment opportunities. European Sociological Review, 18, 159–178. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/18.2.159
StockardJ.LehmanM. B. (2004). Influences on the satisfaction and retention of 1st-year teachers: The importance of effective school management. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(5), 742–771. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X04268844
81.
StrackR. W.AndersonK. K.GrahamC. M.TomoyasuN. (2007). Race–gender differences in risk and protective factors among youth in residential group homes. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 24(3), 261–283. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-007-0084-y
82.
SwearerS.HymelS. (2015). Bullying and discrimination in schools: Exploring variations across student subgroups. School Psychology Review, 44(4), 504–509. https://doi.org/10.17105/15-0133.1
83.
TabachnickB. G.FidellF. S. (1989). Using multivariate statistics (2nd ed.). HarperCollins.
84.
ThomsonS. (2018). Achievement at school and socioeconomic background – An educational perspective. Science of Learning, 3, 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-018-0022-0
85.
TobinH.StauntonS.MandyW.SkuseD.HelligreilJ.BaykanerO.MurinM. A. (2012). Qualitative examination of parental experiences of the transition to mainstream secondary school for children with an autism spectrum disorder. Educational and Child Psychology, 29, 72–83.
86.
TourónJ.Navarro-AsencioE.LizasoainL.López GonzálezE.José García-San PedroM. (2019). How teachers’ practices and students’ attitudes towards technology affect mathematics achievement: Results and insights from PISA 2012. Research Papers in Education, 34(3), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2018.1424927
UshiodaE. (2003). Motivation as a socially mediated process. In LittleD.RidleyJ.UshiodaE. (Eds.), Learner autonomy in the foreign language classroom: Learner, teacher, curriculum and assessment (pp. 90–103). Authentik.
89.
Van UdenJ. M.RitzenH.PietersJ. M. (2014). Engaging students: The role of teacher beliefs and interpersonal teacher behavior in fostering student engagement in vocational education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 37, 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.08.005
90.
VeloriaC. N.BussuA.MurryM. (2020). The transformative possibilities of restorative approaches to education. In Pica-SmithC.VeloriaC. N.ContiniR. (Eds.), Intercultural education: Critical perspectives, pedagogical challenges, and promising practices (pp. 298–320). Nova Science.
WanjalaG. W.KhateteI. W.MbakaT.AsiagoD. (2014). Preparedness of secondary school management in the planning, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of school projects in Gucha District, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, 5(15), 84–90.
93.
WoessmannL.ThomasF. (2004). Computers and student learning: Bivariate and multivariate evidence on the availability and use of computers at home and at school (CESifo Working Paper Series No. 1321). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=619101
WorthingtonR. L.WhittakerT. A. (2006). Scale development research. A content analysis and recommendations for best practices. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(6), 806–838. http://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127
Zimmer-GembeckM. J.ChipuerH. M.HanischM.CreedP. A.McGregorL. (2006). Relationships at school and stage-environment fit as resources for adolescent engagement and achievement. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 911–933. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2006.04.008
98.
ZimmermanB. J. (2000). Self-efficacy: An essential motive to learn. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1016
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
