Group Intervention on Soft Skills in Upper Secondary School: A Psychoeducational Approach to Preventing Academic Failure and Dropout Among Youth with Emotional Behavioral Challenges

This book presents a group-based educational intervention implemented at CETIS 148 in Durango, Mexico, over a six-week period, targeting 20 second- and fourth-semester students with emotional and behavioral difficulties and academic deficiencies. The strategy included roundtable discussions, a skills workshop for tutors and monitors, and surveys on well-being and academic performance, coordinated with academic tutoring, educational counseling, and the "Yo no abandono" ("I Won't Drop Out") program. A mixed-methods design was used: pre-, mid-, and post-surveys using Likert scales, tracking of attendance and academic arrears, along with qualitative observation of group dynamics. The analysis combined descriptive statistics, basic correlations, and thematic analysis. The project aligned with the New Mexican School initiative, SEP policies, SDG 4, and approaches focused on human rights, gender, care, and interculturality. The results were positive: 75% of students reduced their outstanding debts, attendance increased by 40%, and social-emotional competencies improved from 2.8 to 4.1 on the Likert scale. This study thus proposes a preventive, low-cost, and scalable methodology to strengthen soft skills and reduce failure rates and dropout rates in upper secondary education.