Cultural Heritage Education as a Tool for Preventing and Combating Early School Leaving

This article examines the relationship between cultural heritage education and the prevention of school dropout, presenting and validating the Q-PEPAS (Questionnaire on Students’ Perception of Heritage Education and School Dropout). Unlike existing instruments, the Q-PEPAS specifically integrates the role of heritage education into the analysis of school motivation, sense of belonging, and dropout risk, thereby offering a novel contribution to the field. This study was conducted with a convenience sample of 220 secondary school students (aged 14–19) from different Italian regions (North, Central, South and Islands), ensuring geographical and sociocultural variety. Following a review of the literature on the individual, family, school, and socioeconomic factors associated with early school leaving, this paper describes the development, administration, and validation of the instrument through a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. The findings show that heritage education can significantly enhance students’ motivation, school well-being, and sense of community, suggesting targeted strategies to reduce dropout risk. Statistical analyses confirm the reliability and validity of the tool, while thematic results underline its relevance for designing innovative educational interventions that value cultural heritage as a driver of active participation and informed citizenship.