Gamification As A Tool For Preventing Early School Leaving: A Possible Perspective?

Early school leaving is an urgent and complex problem that national and European institutions have long been trying to address (Council of the European Union, 2021; MIUR, 2014). A wide range of factors – both in and out of school – contribute to early school leaving, including household responsibilities, lack of parental guidance, large family size, poor economic conditions, failure in exams, lack of time for study, punishment by teachers, and lack of interest in studies (Baruah & Goswami, 2014). Financial resources, policies, student-teacher-parents relationships, and academic performance also play a significant role (Orion et al., 2014). Commitment and support for students are key factors, as identified by teachers and school managers (Gil et al., 2019). Feeling behind or failing coursework is a major factor in secondary school dropout (Lockett & Cornelious, 2015). Within this framework, an interesting line of research and experimentation can be given by paying attention to teaching strategies and methodologies (Bonaiuti, 2014) that can reduce early school leaving. The present work aims to verify whether the use of gamification in education can contribute to reducing school dropout rates and is linked to a broader research promoted by the PRIN project Teaching And LEARNING effectiveness to promote studeNT achievement and prEvent school Dropout (TALENTED) which aims to identify a series of didactic approaches to be applied in the school context to prevent school dropout. Gamification, understood as «the use of game thinking and game mechanics to engage users and solve problems» (Zichermann & Cunningham, 2001, p. XII), can be used in school settings by making use of the approaches and mechanisms typical of gaming and video games in order to enable students to achieve specific learning outcomes. The interesting elements that are a constituent part of gamification are: points, levels, challenges, badges, leaderboards, rewards/rewards, progress bars and feedback (Brull & Finlayson, 2016). By using these elements within appropriate strategies and avoiding rigidly behaviourist approaches, the use of gamification in education has been shown to have a positive impact on student engagement and motivation (Colombo, & Tièche Christinat, 2017). Guerrero-Puerta & Guerrero (2021) found that gamification can improve student well-being and school engagement, potentially reducing the risk of early school leaving. Similarly, Khaleel et al. (2020) reported that gamification increased student engagement in difficult subjects, which could potentially lead to improved retention. Harrington & Mellors (2021) and Aleksic-Maslac et al. (2017) both highlighted the positive impact of gamification on student engagement and retention in tertiary settings, further supporting the potential of gamification to reduce school dropout. However, the specific application of gamification in addressing early school leaving in the context of dispersion interactions remains an area for further research.