Educational Relationships and a Sense of Belonging at School: A Key to Preventing Dropouts

This study explores the teacher–student relationship and students’ sense of school belonging help prevent school dropout in Moroccan secondary schools. School dropout remains an issue with academic and social consequences. The study involved 480 students from educational settings. Data were collected through validated questionnaires. The results show that positive relationships with teachers strengthen students’ sense of belonging to their school. This stronger attachment reduces the risk of leaving school early. Mediation analysis confirms that school belonging explains part of the positive effect of teacher support on dropout prevention. However, the teacher–student relationship also has a direct influence. This suggests that other factors, such as motivation, self-confidence, and classroom engagement, play an important role. The findings emphasize the need to create supportive and inclusive school environments. They also encourage teacher training in relational skills, mentoring, and personalized guidance to improve student engagement and reduce dropout in Moroccan secondary education.