Cycle: XXXVIII

PhD student: Carmen Pannone

Role: R1 - First Stage Researcher

Supervisor: Prof. Giuliano Vivanet, Dr. Marta Pellegrini

I am a Primary school teacher and a Ph.D. student in Philosophy, Epistemology, and Human Sciences at the University of Cagliari. I obtained a Master’s degree in Primary Education at the University of Florence in 2015. Since then, I have worked in primary schools, developing a particular interest in the Evidence-Based Education (EBE) approach. Therefore, my research interests the development and evaluation of educational practices and programs with strong evidence of effectiveness (‘what works under what circumstances’). Supervised by Profs. Giuliano Vivanet and Marta Pellegrini, my research project concerns effective practice to prevent school dropout (i.e., ESL or Early School Leaving). In particular, my work aims at discovering what has been experimented in the prevention of this phenomenon, synthesising the empirical research results. An ESL prevention program designed from both scientific evidence and analysis of the school context will be planned, implemented, and evaluated.

PROJECT

"Educational Design Research for Early School Leaving Prevention: Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating an Evidence-Based Educational Intervention".

Early school leaving represents one of the major educational and social challenges at the European level. The phenomenon, defined as the percentage of young people aged 18 to 24 who have attained at most a lower secondary school diploma and are not engaged in education or training (Council of the European Union, 2003), has direct implications on the labor market, economic growth, and social cohesion. The European Strategy for the European Education Area 2030 (EEA 2030) has set the target of reducing the early school leaving rate to below 9% by 2030 (Council of the European Union, 2021). However, in Italy, the current rate still exceeds 10%, with values above 15% in the southern regions (Eurostat, 2023), making it necessary to implement effective, evidence-based strategies to prevent and combat the phenomenon.

Despite the increasing availability of research on the effectiveness of educational interventions, one of the main challenges is the translation of scientific evidence into effective and sustainable educational practices (EC/EACEA/Eurydice, 2017). In this context, the present doctoral research aims to answer the following research questions:

• What evidence exists regarding educational interventions for preventing early school leaving?
• How can an evidence-based educational intervention be developed and adapted to the context of Italian schools?
• What are the feasibility criteria and initial qualitative feedback on its effectiveness?

To answer these questions, the research adopts the methodological framework of Educational Design Research (EDR, McKenney & Reeves, 2019), an approach that integrates research and design, developing practical solutions through iterative cycles of analysis, design, and evaluation. EDR is particularly suitable for complex educational contexts as it allows the combination of research synthesis with an exploration of the implementation context.

The project is structured into three main phases, with the following outputs produced:

• Analysis and exploration – The first phase involves a scoping review and an evidence and gap map to identify the most promising strategies for preventing early school leaving. The results of these research syntheses are then integrated with data collected in the field in secondary schools in Sardinia, in order to understand the specificities of the local educational context and the needs of teachers and students.
• Design and construction – Based on the evidence collected, an educational intervention aimed at preventing early school leaving is developed, with particular attention to teacher training. The design process adopts tools and models from EDR to ensure that the intervention is not only evidence-based but also adaptable and sustainable within the Italian school context.
• Evaluation and reflection – The intervention is initially subjected to alpha testing, during which experts and stakeholders provide feedback on the structure and content, allowing for necessary adjustments. Subsequently, if possible, a beta testing will be conducted, involving a pilot study in a real school context to assess its feasibility and gather preliminary data on the intervention’s effects.

The expected outputs of the research include: (i) the design of an evidence-based educational intervention (adaptable to the specificities of the Italian school context); (ii) a theoretical contribution on the role of EDR in linking research evidence and contextual data to design and evaluate educational interventions, with a reflection on its development within the scope of the doctoral journey; (iii) practical implications for teacher training and the definition of more effective educational policies, with the goal of providing concrete tools to reduce early school leaving rates and improve educational opportunities for at-risk students.

Through this approach, the research not only addresses an urgent educational issue but also contributes to building a bridge between theory and practice, supporting the dissemination of evidence-based educational intervention models tailored to real school contexts.