School Belonging: The Importance of Student and Teacher Relationships

Abstract

School belonging is associated with a range of positive educational and developmental outcomes, including psychosocial health and wellbeing, prosocial behaviour and academic achievement, and transition into adulthood. However, an increasing number of students worldwide report not feeling a sense of belonging to their school. There is growing research evidence that strong student–teacher relationships can promote school belonging, however creating these relationships within highly complex educational systems can be challenging. Further, only a few interventions focusing specifically on belonging that are available in schools have been found to be effective. This chapter highlights the importance of teacher support for a student’s sense of school belonging, discusses challenges associated with student–teacher relationships, and points to strategies for building strong relationships. We highlight the role that school leaders play in fostering strong relationships, and consider extensions within higher education, and future directions. Considering the importance of student–teacher relationships towards a student’s sense of school belonging, and the empirical base that points to both short- and long-term outcomes, implications for widespread benefits are possible for schools that prioritize and value positive relationships between staff and students.

Using Machine Learning Approaches to Explore Non-Cognitive Variables Influencing Reading Proficiency in English among Filipino Learners

“…Collectively, the three variables related to students' school experiences (the third is PERCOOP) characterize the poor reading proficiency students as being socially disconnected from the school; they have a low sense of belonging, perceive their fellow students not to value cooperation, and have frequently been exposed to bullying, a finding consistent with previous research [59]. Feeling socially disconnected in school is most likely going to limit the influence of the school as a social environment for socializing and developing important cognitive, affective, and social goals for these students [60,61], which might explain why these variables have a strong impact on the model predicting reading proficiency.…”

Does Socioeconomic Status Moderate the Relationship Between School Belonging and School-Related factors in Australia?

“…Students who perceive their teachers as highly supportive tend to feel a stronger sense of belonging at school compared to students who do not view their teachers as supportive (Allen et al, 2021;Garcia-Reid, 2007;Wang & Holcombe, 2010). Perceived teacher support can be defined as the extent to which students feel like their teachers care about them and their achievements, encourage them, take the time to assist them, treat them fairly, promote mutual respect, and provide opportunities for independent decision-making (Allen et al, 2018;OECD, 2019b;Wang & Holcombe, 2010).…”

Student Academic Engagement and Burnout Amidst COVID-19: The Role of Purpose Orientations and Disposition Towards Gratitude in Life

“…As suggested by McCullough et al (2008) , feeling grateful may lead to real changes in people's social relationships, which may include relationships with classmates and university instructors. Given that sense of belonging – the subjective feeling of deep connection with people, places, and experiences – has been shown to be salient to academic motivation, engagement, retention, and success (e.g., Allen et al, 2021 ; Gillen-O’Neel, 2021 ; Pedler et al, 2022 ), grateful undergraduate students might be more academically engaged because they might have a greater sense of belonging at university.…”