Enhance Students’ Engagement to Counter Dropping-Out: A research at Rome Tre University

The paper focuses on some variables that in the academic context could influence the decision of
students to leave their studies (Krause, 2005) and analyzes the role that students' engagement could
play in countering that phenomenon (Appleton et al., 2008).
Several studies have shown that the educational environments that encourage the engagement of
students (Kuh, 2001; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) can facilitate the development of motivation in
study (Decy & Ryan, 2002), self-efficacy (Pastorelli et al., 2001), resilience (Stallman, 2010).
Furthermore, scientific literature shows that these elements are strategic variables to counter the
dropout (Tinto, 1987; Braxton & Hirschy, 2005). Due to the high rates of dropout by the Italian
university students (ANVUR, 2016), the research explores this problem trying to identify some
strategies to help students to prevent and counter the risk of leave their studies.
The research was conducted at the Department of Education (Roma Tre University) and involved 384
students, 158 of which have dropped out and 226 are regularly enrolled. The students were contacted
by telephone and it was administered them a questionnaire with CATI procedure (Computer Assisted
Telephone Interviewing - Shanks, 1983). The main objective of the research was to understand - with
a multidimensional approach - how the social, motivational, educational and organizational variables
could have influenced students' decision to continue their studies or leave them.
Data analysis showed that students' engagement, explored in its various dimensions, is a crucial
variable in countering dropout. Most of students who answered to attend systematically the academic
environment - e.g. campus, lectures and services - and to have relationships with peers and with the
educative staff, in fact, is regularly enrolled. Instead, most of those students who leave their studies is
characterized by a low ability to adapt to the academic setting and lower levels of self-efficacy and
motivation.
The multidimensional approach adopted in the research helped us to formulate reflections on the
possibilities to counter students' dropout using strategies that encourage engagement and the
adequate educative guidance for students.