Sense of belonging at school
Indicators
Students agreeing that school is “a place where I belong” (Speaking Out Survey WA)
Students feeling high sense of belonging at school (Wellbeing and Engagement Collection SA)
Students feeling low sense of belonging at school (WEC SA)
Students reporting high emotional engagement with teachers (WEC SA)
Policy context
Research suggests that a sense of belonging at school and the degree to which students report liking school has an important influence on student motivation, engagement, participation and academic outcomes.¹ʼ²
A sense of belonging at school is derived through the school environment, positive and supportive teacher and peer relationships and personal characteristics, such as conscientiousness, optimism and self-esteem.³
Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive national data collection to inform the indicators within this theme. Instead, most states and territories conduct their own surveys among school students, addressing aspects such as their sense of belonging in school and their engagement with teachers. However, these survey findings are typically only made available in the form of a summarised report specific to each state or territory. In some states, no public reporting takes place.
Goodenow C and Grady KE 1993, The Relationship of School Belonging and Friends’ Values to Academic Motivation Among Urban Adolescent Students, The Journal of Experimental Education, Vol 62 No 1, pp. 60-71 [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220973.1993.9943831
Ma X 2003, Sense of Belonging to School: Can Schools Make a Difference? The Journal of Educational Research, Vol 96 No 6, pp. 340-349 [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220670309596617
Allen K et al 2016, What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: a meta-analysis, Educational Psychology Review, pp. 1-34. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Learning and participating [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/a-sense-of-belonging-and-supportive-relationships-at-school/
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309224583_What_Schools_Need_to_Know_About_Fostering_School_Belonging_a_Meta-analysis
