Sense of school belonging: How do special schools recognise, nurture, support and promote school belonging?

Marie Hayward

doi:10.25907/00792

Schools are complex and dynamic environments that play a key role in establishing a sense of belonging and are influenced by a network of relationships that value and enhance the learning process (Rayyes, 2009). Belonging may be a multifaceted construct but it is something we all know and strive to achieve. A central tenet of belonging is incorporating the need for interpersonal connections and the perception that these connections form stable relationships with others on a daily basis (Riley & White, 2016). Studies have stated that belonging is defined as individuals feeling personally accepted, respected, supported, included and valued within particular social settings (Greenwood & Kelly, 2019). School belonging is dependent on individual’s perceptions of the school environment as well as their interactions and relationships among staff, parents, students and the community (Murphy & Zirkel, 2015). The value and importance of school belonging is derived from the social, emotional and cognitive components of the school’s learning environment (Sassen, 2015). Pesonen et. al. (2016) states that there was limited research pertaining to students with disabilities and their sense of school belonging within both general and segregated specialised educational settings. Due to this limited research, examining school belonging within special school settings was the focus of this project which aimed to add valuable knowledge to this under researched aspect in specialised schools. In doing so, this research project investigated school belonging within special school settings particularly in Queensland, Australia. To investigate student belongingness as it relates to students with disabilities, this research project considered the interactions among staff and students within special school environments. It established participants’ understandings and their expressed meanings of school belonging within a range of research sites with an in-depth examination in one school site. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Model for Human Development was adapted as a conceptual approach as it illustrated interpersonal relationships and the various relationships between systems (micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro-systems). This study followed a mixed-method approach consisting of a quantitative element in the form of a survey (Part 1) across ten special schools and was designed to establish an overarching concept of school belonging within these schools. Part 2 of the project entailed a single school case study, selected from the ten special schools surveyed. This school was selected for the case study as it represented the educational, demographic, policy and procedural features of these ten schools. Observations, interviews, policy and procedural documents and archival records were employed to elicit relevant information from the selected site. Survey data derived from each school were entered separately into an Excel spreadsheet which were then combined for comparison and descriptive statistical data. From this spreadsheet, the data were transferred to SSPS for further analysis involving an ANOVA and Chi-squared analysis. Data derived from the case study site followed Braum and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis encompassing transcribing, ‘getting to know’ the data, initial coding, identifying themes among the dataset, consolidating themes and naming these themes. The survey and case study findings coalesced around four key factors influencing school belonging. First, the sense of belonging at school was important and highly valued. Participants reported that they felt accepted, included, supported and valued. Second, relationships among staff, parents, students and the school community were crucial in establishing and maintaining a sense of belonging at school. Through social interactions between staff and students, positive relationships developed, fostering school belonging. Third, the teaching and learning environment influenced student learning outcomes which enabled students to develop their skills, knowledge, interests and abilities (La Salle, et. al., 2015). Through social interactions between staff and students, positive relationships developed, fostering school belonging. Last, school culture was an integral component impacting school belonging. Artefacts, values, ritual and traditions formed the foundation for school belonging to flourish. Policies and practices such as Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), staff and student wellbeing and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) gave structure to school belonging.

Sense of school belonging: How do special schools recognise, nurture, support and promote school belonging?

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