School low attainment by students with a migratory background: a multidimensional model to understand the causes and develop effective career guidance practices

Abstract

The research has been dealing since the Sixties with the phenomenon of low attainment and risk of school failure for students from minority backgrounds. This situation leads towards low level of qualifications, reduced opportunities of placement in the job market and undermined wellbeing (OECD, 2018). However, there is no multidimensional framework to interpret the data in consistent and effective way, to work out innovative practice to promote school career of students from vulnerable communities. In this contribution, a multidimensional model is offered, based on the ecological-cultural theory (Lee, 2009; Siraj e Mayo, 2014; Suàrez-Orozco, 2001), to identify the main factors of protection to promote school attainment and devise innovative school career guidance practices.