The formative tutoring programme in preventing university drop-outs and improving students' academic performance. The case study of the University of Padova (Italy)

The Spanish model of Tutoria Formativa de Carrera may be viewed as a useful strategy to improve student performance and prevent the drop-out phenomenon. In order to verify its adaptability to the Italian academic context, an experimental programme was carried out in three first-cycle degree courses in an Italian university: case studies were chosen according to their high drop-out and low performance rates. A year-long programme of tutoring, together with peer and service tutoring, was proposed to enrolled students, the main aims being to facilitate the transition between secondary school and university, to foster students' integration within the university context and their approach to university-level study, and to guide them towards conscious decisions about their personal and professional careers. By means the innovative approach based on primary prevention and student-centred perspective, substantial results were obtained, highlighting the educational dimension of tutoring, by integration of peer and service tutoring with a new tutoring role for the teaching staff.