School engagement as an antidote of Early School Leaving: exploring the role of the Institutional Habitus

Abstract

The objective of the article is to explore the impact of secondary schools, and specifically of the institutional habitus, on the students’ school engagement. School engagement and more precisely school disengagement, is a key concept in order to capture the process by which students disconnect from school and consequently, is a crucial indicator to predict the risks of dropping out of school. A systematic study of its dimensions (behavioural, emotional and cognitive) and a proper analysis of the role of contexts in inhibiting or facilitating school engagement it is required as a critical entry point to foster school success. The analysis is based on a qualitative
methodology, conducting multiple in depth case studies in five secondary schools in Barcelona. The results point out the relevance of students’ engagement in preventing Early School Leaving, illustrate its different dimensions and identify the most significant variables related to the
“school effect”.