Review of Factors Underlying the School Dropout Phenomenon in Instruments Used with Students, Parents, and Teachers

The phenomenon of drop-out, school dropout, and abandonment represents a complex challenge for educational systems worldwide, with negative consequences for students, their families, and society as a whole (Cascioli, 2021; Lamb et al., 2011; Mastorci et al., 2022). As known, high drop-out and school abandonment rates are associated with lower academic achievements, fewer job opportunities, and higher risks of involvement in risky behaviors. This study, a preliminary part of the research project “TALENTED” funded by PRIN PNRR funds and concerning inter- vention in secondary schools in three different regions of southern Italy, aims to conduct a review of the dimensions most investigated in literature and the most used tools to assess early attitudes and aspects capable of negatively influencing academic success. Our research concerns aspects related to all stakeholders, namely students, fam- ilies, and teachers (Batini & Bartolucci, 2016). The research goal is to review the factors and theoretical constructs underlying the school dropout phenomenon and school failure, which are widely discussed in the international scientific literature, in order to assess and un- derstand the key aspects that contribute to student engagement and academic success. Dimensions that, regard- ing students, involve very different aspects and variables such as emotional well-being, self-esteem, anxiety, ex- pectations, aggressiveness, and coping and study strategies used (Archambault et al., 2009; Bussu & Pulina, 2020; Nixon et al., 1990; Rumberger & Lim, 2008; Rumberger & Rotermund, 2012; York et al. 2015). Regarding parents, alongside socioeconomic variables, beliefs, educational expectations, as well as data on the quality of family re- lationships, parental involvement, and emotional support offered can provide valuable information (Parr & Bonitz, 2015). As for teachers, it is known that they can significantly influence students’ school experience through their teaching style, their attitude to pursue improvement, self-efficacy perception, propensity to work in teams, ability to provide emotional support, and intervene to improve the classroom climate (Lenart, 2016; Knesting-Lund et al. 2013; Nairz-Wirth & Feldmann, 2017). Understanding the most relevant dimensions and the most used tools to evaluate attitudes, aspects, and actions capable of influencing academic success allows informing educational policies and promoting targeted interven- tions to prevent drop-out and foster a more inclusive and supportive school environment for all students. In the case of our project, such a review is functional to the entrance detection, ongoing monitoring, and ex-post evaluation of the effectiveness of active intervention strategies that will be implemented in some pilot schools.