ERIC Number: EJ783210
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 25
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0973
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
An Exploration of Students' Belongingness Beliefs in One Middle School
Nichols, Sharon L.
Journal of Experimental Education, v76 n2 p145-169 Win 2008
In this study, the author explored students' conceptions of belongingness on the basis of past and current school contexts and analyzed how conceptions did or did not change over time and from one school context to another. The participants included 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade students (N = 45) who attended a newly formed charter school in a large metropolitan city in the Southwestern United States. The author used interview methods to obtain both closed- and open-ended student responses. Results suggested that students varied in their belongingness conceptions, with some students emphasizing the importance of interpersonal relationships and others emphasizing academic achievement or opportunity. The author used the results to generate a model of belonging that combines students' perceptions of the school climate for others with their perceived level of fit within it. The author also describes implications for future research on student belongingness. (Contains 6 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)
Descriptors: Charter Schools, Student Attitudes, Middle School Students, Metropolitan Areas, Interviews, Academic Achievement, Interpersonal Relationship, Educational Opportunities, Student Adjustment, Psychological Patterns
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A