Cultural Heritage Education as a Tool for Preventing and Combating Early School Leaving
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13125125 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Antonella Nuzzaci (0000-0003-4182-5845, University of Messina, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 86-86 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Heritage (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2571-9408 • E-ISSN: 2571-9408 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/heritage9030086 |
| OpenAlex | W7131291740 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
This article examines the relationship between cultural heritage education and the prevention of school dropout, presenting and validating the Q-PEPAS (Questionnaire on Students’ Perception of Heritage Education and School Dropout). Unlike existing instruments, the Q-PEPAS specifically integrates the role of heritage education into the analysis of school motivation, sense of belonging, and dropout risk, thereby offering a novel contribution to the field. This study was conducted with a convenience sample of 220 secondary school students (aged 14–19) from different Italian regions (North, Central, South and Islands), ensuring geographical and sociocultural variety. Following a review of the literature on the individual, family, school, and socioeconomic factors associated with early school leaving, this paper describes the development, administration, and validation of the instrument through a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. The findings show that heritage education can significantly enhance students’ motivation, school well-being, and sense of community, suggesting targeted strategies to reduce dropout risk. Statistical analyses confirm the reliability and validity of the tool, while thematic results underline its relevance for designing innovative educational interventions that value cultural heritage as a driver of active participation and informed citizenship
Cultural heritage · Perception · Psychological intervention · Relevance (law · Sample (material · Sociocultural evolution · Socioeconomic status · Thematic analysis · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Museums and Cultural Heritage
The Museum Experience Revisited
Completing College
Relationships Matter
The Effects of Student Coaching
Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
The Measurement of Observer Agreement for Categorical Data
The content validity index
Dropping Out
Tourism, Culture and Heritage in a Smart Economy
Teacher training in heritage education
Mentoring as prevention of early school leaving
Negative life events, self-efficacy, and social support
Risk Factors for School Absenteeism and Dropout
Preventing disengagement leading to early school leaving
Drop-Out Predictors Among Students With High-Incidence Disabilities
Primary and secondary teachers’ conceptions about heritage and heritage education
School motivation and high school dropout
The Different Role of Mentor Support Along the High-School Dropout Process
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |