Application of educational coaching to prevent school dropout in rural upper basic education

Abstract

In Ecuadorian school education, a common problem has been identified in rural areas, namely school dropout, which arises from socioeconomic, social, and family-related factors, resulting in students leaving school. The main objective of the research was to analyze the relationship between student retention and the application of educational coaching as a teaching strategy in rural areas.

A quantitative methodology was adopted, under a non-experimental cross-sectional design, applied in a public rural educational institution in the province of Esmeraldas. Factors such as emotional management, interpersonal relationships, personalized teacher support, school environment, and academic motivation were evaluated. The results of the study demonstrated that educational coaching improves interaction between teachers and students, thereby promoting student retention. It is considered that economic and family-related problems influence students’ lack of motivation, and as a consequence, students discontinue their studies. Motivation is regarded as an appropriate, viable, and applicable pedagogical strategy for all educational institutions aimed at preventing school dropout among students living in rural areas, particularly at the upper basic education sublevel.