Creating school communities where all students feel a true sense of belonging is no small feat. It’s a complex concept affected by so many different dynamics—from how students get along with their peers to whether they feel represented in the school curriculum, according to researchers and education policy leaders who discussed the concept during a webinar on July 24.
The webinar, hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Education and Society Program, highlighted the importance of students feeling like they belong at school, and the barriers school districts face to making that a reality, like heightened politicization of education issues and a lack of strong relationships between students and adults in the building.
Research shows that when students feel connected to school, they’re more likely to attend and perform well academically. They’re less likely to misbehave and feel sad and hopeless. Some research has even linked health benefits well into adulthood to a strong sense of connection to school.
Students of all ages can struggle—academically and socially—if they don’t feel like they fit in at school. Younger children may exhibit signs of low self-esteem, while older students can develop mental health problems or become more at risk of dropping out of school altogether, said Francesca Lopez, a professor of education at Penn State University. At all ages, students who feel they don’t belong are more likely to be chronically absent and struggle academically.
So, now, more than ever, as students work to recover from the pandemic, it’s important that schools prioritize ensuring students feel a sense of belonging in their classrooms, the webinar panelists said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified mentoring, service learning, student-led clubs, and classroom-management training for teachers as strategies schools can use to build connectedness, reduce unhealthy behaviors, and strengthen students’ engagement.
Lopez and other panelists identified three things school and district leaders can watch for that could present barriers to student belonging.
Students of color and LGBTQ+ students are at greater risk of disconnection
Data from the CDC show that nearly 40 percent of high school students in the United States do not feel close to people at school. That disconnect is markedly higher for students of color, girls, and LGBTQ+ students, Lopez said. That correlates with CDC data that show these groups are more likely to experience sadness and depression.
Students in these groups can be more prone to feeling disconnected from school if their cultures, interests, and experiences aren’t represented in the school curriculum and in clubs or groups available on campus, Lopez said.
“It’s very clear that these feelings of uncertainty can be reduced when students are integrated, when they’re welcomed in school, and when there is a positive racial school climate,” she said. “We do have quite a bit of evidence that promoting ethnic studies promotes student academic outcomes, attendance, and belonging, very clearly, as well as critical thinking.”
Political polarization of education issues leads to missed learning opportunities
It’s no secret that there has been increased politicization of education topics in recent years, largely on topics pertaining to Black students and those who identify as LGBTQ+.
Political fights over critical race theory, LGBTQ+ rights, and COVID policies have all taken center stage in recent years, leading to bans on discussing the topics in some states.
Even in places without outright bans, many teachers are “self-censoring” what they discuss in class, erring on the side of caution for fear of being reprimanded, Lopez said.
By doing so, “they’re reducing learning and belonging opportunities for students” in those groups as well as other students who are not being exposed to “topics they need in order to engage civilly with members of society,” she said.
“Some of the polarizing conversations that occur around [diversity, equity, and inclusion] issues and so on are actually fears that the students who are now getting more attention … will somehow displace the belonging of other students,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California Board of Education and the founder of the Learning Policy Institute, an education research organization. “We have to learn how to build community in which everyone belongs together and where this is not about an us versus them.”
Belonging extends to families, too
It is more difficult for students to maintain a sense of belonging if they are routinely absent from school. And, sometimes, whether students can show up to school is beyond their control.
Older students sometimes are called on to care for younger siblings while parents work, or need to get a job to help their families, for example. Younger students may not be able to get to classes if they don’t have reliable transportation.
Ensuring that schools have open lines of communication with families and have established trusting relationships can help alleviate problems and conflicts as they arise.
Darling-Hammond pointed to a California school that began allowing homeless families to stay in the gymnasium overnight when school leaders learned students didn’t have a place to go after school. The program makes it easier for homeless students to show up to school, and forges important connections between the school and families, she said.
“When families have needs, [the school] carries them to a resource where they then get access to stable housing, and the kids can keep coming to school and keep a sense of belonging,” she said. “The belonging has to extend to the families, too.”
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