A Qualitative Inquiry: Factors That Promote Classroom Belonging and Engagement among High School Students (original) (raw)
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Springer, 2023
The theoretical and empirical literature has long included belonging as central to student engagement. Some conceptualizations and approaches have suggested that a student's sense of belonging is a central and foundational principle underpinning engagement. Engagement also contributes to a sense of belonging. Two distinct literatures have developed insights around the importance of, pathways to, and outcomes associated with each construct. This chapter narratively explores similarities and differences between belonging and student engagement, identifying areas of overlap as well as helpful distinctions, with implications for research and educational practice. Although the two are closely connected, these two friends are more effectively treated as complementary constructs, both of which are essential components for positive development in young people.
Support, belonging, motivation, and engagement in the college classroom: a mixed method study
Instructional Science, 2014
This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined how belonging perceptions, academic motivation, and engagement might mediate the relationship between academic contextual characteristics and achievement using structural equation modeling and qualitative follow-up interviews with college students from a large, Midwestern university. In the first, quantitative phase, two hypothesized models of student belonging and motivation were tested. In line with the Self-System Model of Classroom Support for Motivation (Connell and Wellborn, in: Gunnar and Sroufe (eds.) Minnesota Symposium on Child Psychology: Self-processes and Development, 1991), Model 1 hypothesized student belonging and motivation to be directly predicted by supportive classroom environment perceptions, and to directly predict engagement, which was hypothesized to predict achievement. Model 2 elaborated on the traditional self-system model and hypothesized student belonging to mediate the relationship between supportive classroom environment perceptions and student motivation. Quantitative findings revealed support for Model 2. Supportive classroom environment perceptions predicted students' belonging beliefs, which in turn predicted students' motivation, engagement, and achievement in the course. The second, follow-up qualitative phase suggested ways in which contextual characteristics might influence student belonging beliefs in the classroom. Taken together, the
Sense of Belonging at School: Defining Attributes, Determinants, and Sustaining Strategies
IAFOR Journal of Education, 2017
Building and sustaining students’ sense of belonging at school has been proposed by teachers and researchers as a means of stimulating students’ intent or desire to learn and of reducing student attrition. This article will present the results of an inquiry into the literature on belonging to support the perspective that is it necessary, not only to foster a strong sense of belonging, but also to place much greater emphasis on school belonging in educational programs, practices, and research. The aims of the paper are: (a) to review the theoretical literature on school belonging with an emphasis on its defining attributes and main determinants, (b) to review the measurement instruments of school belonging, and (c) to identify various strategies that may enhance school belonging. In light of the defining attributes identified, the authors propose six general recommendations for educational stakeholders wishing to build and sustain students’ sense of belonging at school.
Relationships: The Key to Student Engagement
The purpose of this study was to determine any variances existing between high school students, middle school students, and upper elementary students among the 3 components of student engagement-emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. In addition, the researcher wanted to verify any differences existing between high school teachers, middle school teachers, and upper elementary teachers among the 3 components of student engagement-emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. The goal was to clarify how students and teachers value the 3 components of engagement. Findings from the student respondents reveal significant differences between 2 of the 3 primary components of student engagement: emotional and cognitive. However, results indicate there was no statistical difference in the behavioral component among the 3 school levels. In contrast, findings from the teacher cohorts differed significantly among behavior engagement and emotional engagement with no significant differences among cognitive engagement. Therefore, results reveal an alarming dissimilarity between the student and teacher respondents on how the 3 components of student engagement are valued.
The impact of the learning environment on student engagement in high school classrooms
This chapter presents a study that investigated characteristics of the learning environment predicting for student engagement in public high school classrooms. Students in seven high school classrooms in five different subject areas were observed and videoed in order to predict their engagement as measured by the experience sampling method (ESM).
Teacher and Peer Support for Young Adolescents’ Motivation, Engagement, and School Belonging
RMLE Online, 2015
The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to investigate teacher and peer support for young adolescents' academic motivation, classroom engagement, and school belonging within one large, urban, ethnically diverse middle school. In the initial quantitative phase, associations among aspects of teacher support (autonomy, structure, and involvement), peer support (academic and emotional), and adjustment (motivation, engagement, and belonging) were examined using student surveys (N = 209, 61% females). In the follow-up qualitative phase, participants elaborated on the ways teachers and peers support young adolescents' adjustment during individual interviews (N = 18 students, 5 teachers, and 1 administrator). Results indicate teacher and peer support are academic and social in nature and have unique implications for supporting motivation, engagement, and belonging in middle school. By utilizing a mixed methods design and adopting a multidimensional perspective of classroom-based support, our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of teacher and peer support on student adjustment. An implication for educators is for them to understand the ways teacher and peer support may help meet young adolescents' needs and promote their academic motivation, classroom engagement, and school belonging. Findings may inform middle level educational research and practice, especially in urban, ethnically diverse middle level schools.
Being and Belonging: Student-Teachers’ Contextual Engagement in Schools
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2020
While School Placement is long established as a central component of Initial Teacher Education programmes, there is an increasing awareness that these placement experiences should go beyond the practical activities most directly associated with teaching. This paper considers how engagement in a school placement period with a focus on non-teaching activities contributes to the professional and personal development of student-teachers, and to their sense of 'belonging' while on placement. Drawing primarily on the analysis of data obtained from online logs maintained by student-teachers during this predominantly non-teaching placement, it establishes the activities that they engaged in, and their reflections and opinions about the value of these experiences and this practicum placement. Findings include an increased sense of belonging to the school community, greater confidence and a stronger sense of identity as teacher.
Understanding Students' Perceptions of a High School Course Designed to Enhance School Connectedness
Journal of School Health, 2013
BACKGROUND: This study was a part of an evaluation of a 4-year high school course to enhance students' school connectedness from freshman to senior year with primarily an Asian and Pacific Islander student body in Hawai'i. The purpose of this study was to understand how the course may impact students' sense of school connectedness and identify factors important in course effectiveness. METHODS: Focus group guides were developed in collaboration with course instructors. Approximately 70 students from each grade level were randomly selected to participate in focus groups. All focus groups occurred during the 30-minute lunch period and lunch was provided. RESULTS: Focus groups conducted with 67 students revealed that students perceive teachers to play an essential role in the effectiveness of the course. Students also viewed the small class size and staying in the same class for all 4 years as important components in supporting the relationship-building aspect of the course, which enhances students' level of academic motivation and school involvement. Suggestions for ways that teachers can help build students' sense of school connectedness through the course included integrating their personal experiences into the lessons and facilitating more interactive discussions and team-building activities. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that students recognize the course as a valuable opportunity to build personal relationships that are essential to their sense of school connectedness. Schools should make more effort at incorporating strategies that build students' sense of school connectedness by providing relationship-building opportunities.
Breaking the Mold of Classroom Organization and Management: Innovative and Successful Practices of Engagement, Motivation, and Student Empowerment for 21st Century Schools: A. Cohan & A. Honigsfeld (eds): Rowman and Littlefield., 2014
This chapter discusses an innovative project involving primary pre-service teachers in both the study of the importance of school-community engagement and significantly in the practice of working productively and authentically with cultural, linguistic and economically diverse communities. The project involved partnering with primary schools in which student learning difficulties and disengagement are significant issues. The chapter draws on the perspectives of children and their mentors as well as reports from principals and teachers to illustrate how authentic partnerships may be developed and sustained. CORE (Connecting-Owning-Responding-Empowering) Pedagogy is explored for its potential to enhance student engagement and achievement, teaching and empowerment through focussed community involvement.