Preventing school dropout among vulnerable and marginalized students in Jordan: Positive deviance insights from promising school-level practices

• In Event: Understanding and Supporting Vulnerable Learners: Hope, Resilience, and Inclusive Education Practices

Proposal

Globally, the persistence of out-of-school children and youth remains one of the greatest barriers to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 and represents a risk to social cohesion, especially in conflict and protracted crises contexts. While considerable international attention has focused on reintegrating children who have already dropped out, through non-formal education (NFE) or accelerated programs, less attention has been given to prevention strategies within formal schooling systems. In Jordan, this imbalance is particularly striking. Although Jordan’s Ministry of Education (MoE) and its partners have expanded access and developed some NFE options for those outside the system, comparatively little has been done to proactively support children at risk of dropping out while they are still enrolled. This paper addresses that gap by applying a positive deviance approach to examine locally derived, low-cost, and contextually appropriate strategies that schools in Jordan use to identify and support students most vulnerable to dropout. The study is situated against a national backdrop of economic fragility, high youth unemployment, and refugee influxes, which collectively exacerbate the challenges of retention, particularly among marginalized populations such as Syrian refugees, children from low-income households, and students with disabilities.

The research, conducted from December 2023 to October 2024, employed a mixed-methods design. It combined a nationally representative survey of 723 public-school principals, nine semi-structured interviews with government and NGO stakeholders, and ten school-level case studies. Five case studies were drawn from public schools identified through survey data as engaging in promising practices, while five were drawn from NFE centres that operate “after-hours” in MoE schools (using formal teachers from those schools), enabling an exploration of potential spillover effects of NFE pedagogy into formal education. Data collection tools included structured surveys, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions with school principals, teachers, counsellors, and community partners. The study sought to answer: What promising practices exist within Jordanian schools to prevent student dropout, and what lessons can be drawn for national education policy?

Findings indicate schools in Jordan are already employing a diverse array of context-specific strategies that extend beyond MoE guidelines for monitoring absenteeism and contacting parents. Across the sample, nearly all principals reported systematic daily tracking of student attendance and regular monitoring of academic achievement. However, schools demonstrating positive deviance were those that went further by proactively identifying behavioural warning signs, engaging in home visits to strengthen parental awareness, and cultivating empathetic school cultures where relational trust between teachers and students was prioritized. Examples include the establishment of parent–teacher WhatsApp groups, creative use of social media for outreach, and initiatives that directly involve parents in classroom and extracurricular activities. Schools also created mechanisms to provide discreet material support for students at risk, such as a “Penny Fund” charitable committee, which mobilized community donations to cover uniforms, food, and transportation costs without stigmatizing recipients.

A central finding was the emphasis these schools placed on building supportive and empathetic environments. Instead of relying solely on punitive measures such as absence thresholds, they developed restorative practices and embedded social-emotional learning to foster student engagement. Teachers and principals described cultivating environments where students felt safe to share personal challenges, seek help, and remain connected to school despite external pressures. These findings underscore that retention is not merely a function of attendance policies but of relational school cultures that prioritize belonging and student well-being.

The case studies of NFE centres provided additional insight into how non-formal pedagogies influence mainstream practice. Teachers trained in participatory, student-centred NFE methods reported actively embedding these techniques into formal classrooms. Strategies such as group work, interactive exercises, and technology integration (e.g., Kahoot!) were adapted to larger class sizes and rigid curricula, yet still managed to increase engagement, improve motivation, and encourage contributions from typically disengaged students. Importantly, these practices were shared among colleagues, gradually diffusing NFE-inspired pedagogies across schools. Teachers consistently emphasized that the core contribution of NFE training was not merely methodological but relational: the ability to break down barriers, build rapport, and foster trust with students, which they viewed as critical for preventing dropout.

Survey and interview data further highlighted systemic constraints. Although most schools maintained communication channels with parents, weak parental engagement, particularly in low-income or refugee-hosting communities, remains a challenge. Similarly, while schools were willing to mobilize community support, funding volatility constrained the sustainability of initiatives such as cash transfers and school feeding. Teachers also noted institutional resistance from colleagues accustomed to traditional rote learning approaches, alongside curriculum rigidity, and limited time for innovation.

Overall, this study makes three key contributions. First, it documents how Jordanian schools are already innovating beyond formal policy requirements to support at-risk students. These efforts, though small-scale and locally improvised, demonstrate a strong reservoir of practical knowledge that could be shared and institutionalized. Second, it highlights the transformative potential of participatory pedagogies, borrowed from NFE programs, in reshaping student-teacher relationships and improving engagement within formal schools. Third, it underscores the need for dropout-prevention strategies that are relational and systemic: combining formal attendance monitoring with empathetic school cultures, community mobilization, and student-centred pedagogy.

The policy implications are significant. As Jordan prepares its 2026–2030 Education Strategic Plan, the issue of secondary-level retention has become a national priority. Findings from this study suggest that future policy must move beyond punitive attendance enforcement and instead provide structural support for schools to cultivate inclusive, empathetic, and participatory learning environments. Investment in teacher training that prioritizes student-centred methods would accelerate this shift. Finally, sustainable financing mechanisms are essential to address the economic barriers that remain central to dropout risk.

In conclusion, preventing school dropout in Jordan’s resource-constrained schools requires recognizing and scaling the promising practices already emerging within schools. While external shocks such as displacement from regional conflicts, poverty, and social norms continue to shape vulnerability, the study demonstrates that schools can act as resilient, adaptive spaces that protect children’s right to education. By embedding low-cost, locally-driven strategies that build trust, strengthen relationships, and promote inclusive pedagogy, Jordan’s education system and other conflict-affected contexts can better safeguard the retention and learning of its most marginalized students.

Authors

• Sarah Al-Atari, Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development

• Emilee Rauschenberger, Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development

• Robert Palmer, Queen Rania Foundation

• Sa'ed Alzawahreh