LINK TEAMS
https://bit.ly/EEM_27OUT

Abstract

The session presents the key findings and methodological framework of my PhD thesis, developed within the scope of the European research project LET’S CARE. The project explores systemic and relational factors that contribute to academic disengagement, underachievement, and early school leaving, with a focus on vulnerable populations. Within this context, my research concentrates specifically on migrant-background students, understood in the broadest sense. The first phase of the research begins with a systematic literature review identifying socio-educational vulnerability factors that hinder the academic achievement of students with migrant backgrounds. These factors are then critically compared with the LET’S CARE model of Safe Education (SET-M)—a theoretical and empirical framework designed to foster inclusive and supportive educational environments. The session will examine both the structure and design of the SET-M and its applicability to the specific realities of migrant-background students, highlighting potential conceptual and methodological gaps. The next phase of the thesis will involve an empirical evaluation of the model's relevance in measuring the socio-educational vulnerability of migrant-background students, particularly in terms of academic underachievement and risk of early school leaving. The aim is to contribute to the literature on educational equity by refining tools to better understand and support students with migrant backgrounds within European educational systems.