The European guidelines and orientation in recent years have been focus on
the promotion of equity in the learning paths and in the counteract early school
leaving. Although many actions to reduce early school leaving have been
implemented, today there remain many students who fail to achieve satisfactory
school outcomes and who leave the school system early, especially among
students with a migrant background. To understand the dynamics that can lead
students in conditions of fragility toward negative educational paths, it is necessary
to employ a complex and multidimensional analytical framework that considers
the multiple variables involved. The ecological and cultural theoretical model of
development highlights the complexity of the factors that can influence students’
learning trajectories, assuming a systemic and multifactorial interpretative
approach. Starting from these premises, this study aims to explore the impact
of individual and contextual factors in the learning pathways of foreign-born
students, taking the students’ perspective. Two hundred and forty-four students
attending the second level of secondary school answered to a survey, which
explores their perception about: the meaning attributed to the school; the role
of teachers and the family in supporting their learning path; their involvement
in extra scholastic activities. The results highlight the inclusive role play by the
school, which represent a place for integration into the community for foreign
students; the central role of relationship with teachers and the emotional support
received by the family, in counteracting early school living; the participation of
students with a migratory background in their extra scholastic activities as element
of protection. The results suggest that to respond to foreign students’ complex
educational needs, school cannot act as an isolated entity, but rather should build
networks that involve families and external contexts.
