Conceptual and Methodological Issues in School Belonging Research

Abstract

There exists a wide range of sense of school belonging (SOSB) conceptualizations within educational literature; however, most definitions include a student's sense of connection, identification, support, and safety within their school environment (Cai et al., 2023; Green et al., 2016; Wagle et al., 2021). The construct typically captures the interplay between personal, social, and environmental factors that contribute to students’ experiences of school belonging (Allen et al., 2021; Allen et al., 2022). Higher SOSB is associated with increased academic achievement (Ahmadi, 2020; Allen et al., 2018), better mental health outcomes (Shochet et al., 2011; Wagle et al., 2021), and greater perceived well-being in students (Allen & Boyle, 2018; Arslan, 2019), making it an important construct in educational research. Research has reported a gradual decline in students' SOSB both globally and within Canada, based on data collected from 38 countries between 2003 and 2018 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2017, 2019). This underscores the need for greater clarity and consistency in the conceptualizations and measurement tools of SOSB if we hope to improve student outcomes in this area.

Researchers typically consider early childhood as ranging from three to eight years old, middle childhood from nine to 11 years old, and adolescence from 12 to 18 years old (Balasundaram & Avulakunta, 2024). Across development, psychosocial and physiological changes occur, which have implications for SOSB throughout a student’s education (Balasundaram & Avulakunta, 2024; Dyussenbayev, 2017). Currently, studies have often neglected to consider how SOSB varies depending on the developmental stage of participants and the school level in which they attend.