Abstract
Substantial research indicates that students’ experience of belonging in school contributes favorably to their emotional well-being as well as to a range of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes that enhance learning (Osterman, Rev Educ Res 70:323–367, 2000). The need for relatedness is a basic psychological need. When students experience belonging in the school community, their needs for relatedness are met in ways that affect their attitudes and their behavior. They like school and are more engaged in learning. They have more positive attitudes toward themselves and others and are more likely to interact with others – peers and adults – in positive and supportive ways. They are more accepting of authority and more empathetic to others. Conversely, the sense of rejection is associated with emotional distress as well as a full range of behavioral, social, and academic problems.
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Notes
- 1.
A report on the 2006 high school survey of student engagement, published by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, indicated that 78% of 81,499 respondents from the United States agreed or strongly agreed that there was at least one adult in the school “who cares about me and knows me well.” In contrast, however, the balance, more than one out of five students, disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement (Yazzie-Mintz, 2007, p. 7).
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Osterman, K.F. (2023). Teacher Practice and Students’ Sense of Belonging. In: Lovat, T., Toomey, R., Clement, N., Dally, K. (eds) Second International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24420-9_54
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