Students' Need for Belonging in the School Community

Abstract

Defining sense of community as a feeling of belongingness within a group, this article reviews research about students' sense of acceptance within the school community to address three questions: Is this experience of belongingness important in an educational setting? Do students currently experience school as a community? And how do schools influence students' sense of community? Conceptually, the review reflects a social cognitive perspective on motivation. This theoretical framework maintains that individuals have psychological needs, that satisfaction of these needs affects perception and behavior, and that characteristics of the social context influence how well these needs are met. The concern here is how schools, as social organizations, address what is defined as a basic psychological need, the need to experience belongingness. The findings suggest that students' experience of acceptance influences multiple dimensions of their behavior but that schools adopt organizational practices that neglect and may actually undermine students' experience of membership in a supportive community.

Student Characteristics Associated with Girls’ Success in a Single-sex School

“…Perception of connection to school is one key element of school climate (Sherblom et al, 2006;Skiba et al, 2004). Students' experience of acceptance and belonging in their schools is associated with a number of outcomes, including school engagement and academic performance (Furrer & Skinner, 2003;Osterman, 2000;Sherblom et al, 2006).…”

Implementation of &#34Learning from Success&#34 Model on Learning Disabilities Students

“…They often referred to the possibility that they would adopt means of learning that their classmates had presented as effective. Much research has dealt with the development of learning communities, indicating the significance of a sense of community in the school and the relevance of the knowledge created among the members of such groups (Connell and Wellborn, 1991;Kreber, 2005;Osterman, 2000;Ryan, 1995).…”

“…The self-determination model (Deci et al, 1991) refers to the dynamic of the motivation to learn, creating a continuum of motivation between two poles: external motivation and internal motivation (Deci and Ryan, 1985;2000). He claims that the more internal the motives, the higher the quality of the motivation.…”

O estilo motivacional do professor e a motivação intrínseca dos estudantes: uma perspectiva da Teoria da Autodeterminação

“…Para Osterman (2000), a percepção de segurança nos relacionamentos dos estudantes com pais, professores e colegas é associada à autonomia, ao controle interno, ao bom relacionamento com figuras de autoridade e a níveis adequados de ansiedade. Ao contrário, sentimentos de insegurança nos mesmos relacionamentos são vinculados ao baixo auto-conceito, à incapacidade de agir de modo independente e à dificuldade ou incapacidade de se conformar com as normas.…”

“…Uma vez satisfeita, a necessidade psicológica promove sensação de bem-estar e de um efetivo funcionamento do organismo , 2000Deci & cols., 1991;Ryan & Deci, 2000a, 2000b.…”