Early school leaving. A study on the connection to identity

Abstract

The early school dropout rate in Spain stands at 13.6 %, a percentage higher than the European average. This is a phenomenon influenced by multifactorial aspects, including factors related to the educational system as well as individual characteristics. The objective of this research is to determine the influence of factors related to individual identity on early school dropout, such as gender, age, country of origin, mother tongue, and place of residence. The study is conducted through the administration of a specifically developed questionnaire to a sample of 1157 students from La Rioja in the final years of compulsory secondary education. Data analysis is performed through descriptive analysis, examining percentage differences between groups and represented with line graphs. The results show differences based on age, gender, and place of residence. Additionally, differences are observed between national and foreign students, especially those with a non-Spanish mother tongue. The main findings indicate that certain identity traits substantially influence whether students continue their educational process. Therefore, educational institutions should be aware of these potentially risky identity aspects in order to develop proactive actions for at-risk students, thereby avoiding future early school dropout.