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General Articles

Dance as an ode to belonging.

Dance can offer connection for people who have struggled to find places of belonging elsewhere.

The power of passing encounters: Why strangers matter for wellbeing

Brief interactions with strangers support social confidence and protect against loneliness and low mood.

Belonging starts here: Helping students feel at home.

Newly arrived immigrant students described belonging as feeling noticed, supported, and guided by teachers.

The power of neighbors: From hello to help.

Neighbourly connection supports older adults, newcomers, and those facing mental health challenges.

When school feels like home: How young children know they belong.

Teachers can create belonging through caring relationships, not just teaching.

A study reveals that school belonging influences substance use into adulthood.

The significance of school in protecting mental health.

In addressing the critical concern of mental health in adolescents, the role of school belonging has emerged as a focal point of contemporary research.

School belonging – students tell us what they need

Monash University researchers offer insights into what secondary school students need from teachers to improve their sense of belonging at school.

1 in 3 people are lonely. Will AI help, or make things worse?

While generative AI itself is relatively new, the fields of belonging and human-computer interaction have been explored reasonably well, with results that may surprise you.

PISA 2022 Results for Students Sense of Belonging at School

Read some salient quotes and core information

What "belonging" means around the globe: Belonging in translation: A linguistic journey.

"Belonging." A simple word bearing complex and multifaceted meanings.

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Measuring school belonging: Understanding and interpreting your results

More schools are measuring belonging. Understanding the findings involves a number of considerations

Planting the seeds of belonging for parents: Exploring the integral role of parents in educational ecosystems

Engaging parents and creating social opportunities within schools may positively influence student outcomes

Australian teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs but their sense of professional belonging is strong.

Teachers around Australia are preparing to head back to the classroom for 2023. But amid excitement about a new school year, there are ongoing concerns about teacher shortages and

Maintaining our sense of belonging in writing and research: Barriers and builders in academia.

Working on your perceptions, motivations, opportunities, and competencies can build your sense of belonging.

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What Does Food Have to Do With Belonging and Schools?

The relationship between food and belonging is complex, leading us to ask whether it is the rituals and traditions that surround food rather than the food itself that are important.

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Do Schools Need a Policy on School Belonging?

Every school should have a school belonging policy. Focusing on these key areas could help them get started.

The Power of Relationships in Schools

How can we help students harness the many benefits associated with having positive relationships at school?

The Science of School Belonging

Schools must prioritize children's need for belonging. They can do so by putting decades of research into practice.

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Your Sense of Belonging in Modern Times

Has COVID-19 challenged how you feel about your sense of belonging? Can you see it's impact in your workplace, school or community?

Boosting School Belonging

With rising rates of youth mental illness, disconnection, and social isolation, strategies are needed that can help stem the tide.

The Truth Behind School Refusal

As many as 5 percent of students experience school refusal—and the rate is much higher for students with psychological conditions like anxiety.

Lessons on Human Connection from Denmark

Educational systems in Denmark have an unmistakable influence on a sense of togetherness for their staff, students, and school community.

The Importance of Belonging Across Life

The innate need to seek out meaningful social connections and bonds with others is an enduring and persistent human characteristic throughout life.

Building and maintaining school belonging

Though there have been a few positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of traditional school routines has not been one of them.

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Belonging isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the key to our kid’s education.

This week in every corner of Australia, schools, workplaces and communities will gather in various ways to celebrate Harmony Week

How to create a sense of belonging as students return to the classroom.

The last two years of COVID-19 restrictions – where children had a mix of school and home-based learning – has impacted their sense of belonging.

Here’s the cheat sheet for creating better school policies.

School policies are vital tools in creating school culture and supporting staff. They allow students to thrive but take time to write.

Do you long to belong?

We all have a natural need to feel a sense of belonging and connect with others. Feeling accepted and valued can lead to healthy psychological outcomes which are essential for adolescent development.

Free schools guide about inclusiveness and climate science is not ideological .

A recently released policy guide book for teachers and schools has been receiving some criticism. For instance, an article in the Daily Telegraph claimed:

Do you feel like you belong?

People have a natural need to connect and belong. Belonging makes a person feel good and accepted. A sense of belonging, particularly in schools, is important for young people. However, many students do not feel that they belong at their schools.

'I wouldn't be where I am today': Recognising the outstanding work of teachers.

Albert Einstein once professed: “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”

5 ways to boost students' sense of school belonging

How strongly a student feels like they “belong” at their school can shape their life, well into adulthood. So how can teachers and schools help students feel like they belong?

Book Launch Speech Transcript for Boosting School Belonging

My (Kelly's) husband once listed our old bathing box on Airbnb. At his first booking, wanting to excel in his role as a host, he offered to pick up his guests from the train station.

Making sense of belonging

Do you dread public speaking? Does the mere thought of standing on a stage behind a microphone before an audience erode your inner core? Or can you portray an air of confidence to get the job done knowing deep down you are masking an underlying anxiety?

Schools need to foster a sense of belonging

There is a global trend signalling a decline in a sense of school belonging for secondary school students.

Why Don’t Australian School Kids Feel a Sense of Belonging?

Respectful and valued relationships with teachers and the wider community are key to helping more students feel greater connection to their school, leading to far-reaching positive effects

I study belonging across the human lifespan, following how it develops and is sustained from childhood through to adulthood, in work, family, and life.