From Risk to Retention: Insights on Dropout Prevention and Digitalisation

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This symposium brings together international research on efforts to prevent early school leaving and support student retention in secondary education, with a focus on how these efforts are evolving in an increasingly digitalised world. Drawing on studies from Europe and Latin America, the session examines how national policies, institutional strategies, and digital tools—such as early warning systems and data platforms—are used to identify and support at-risk students. The three papers explore the professional, organisational, and political implications of digitalisation for dropout prevention. The aim of the symposium is to facilitate a discussion with an international audience on the challenges and possibilities education systems face in preventing dropout, promoting equity, and rethinking professional practice in data-driven educational contexts.

Sub Unit

• International Relations Committee

Chair

• Guri Skedsmo, University of Oslo

Papers

• From Risk to Resilience: Pathways to Educational Success for Vulnerable Learners - Joe O'Hara, Dublin City University; Martin Brown, Dublin City University; Sarah Gardezi, Dublin City University; Aideen Cassidy, Dublin City University; Gerard P. McNamara, Dublin City University; Andrea Larrañaga, Universidad de Deusto; Rocio Garcia-Carrion, University of Deusto

• Defining and Digitalising Risk: How School Administrators Use Performance Data to Retain Students in Norwegian Upper Secondary Education - Guri Skedsmo, University of Oslo; Ida Cheyenne Martinez Lunde, University of Oslo; Sølvi Mausethagen, Oslo Metropolitan University

• Predicting or Preventing? Critical Perspectives on Dropout Monitoring Tools in Secondary Education in Latin America - Felicitas M. Acosta, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento; Néstor López, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional

Session Organizer

• Guri Skedsmo, University of Oslo