Project Details
Project Description
Belonging in educational contexts is most commonly defined as the feeling that one is accepted, included, valued and respected within a school environment. Between 30 to 50% of students do not feel a sense of belonging to school. A student’s sense of belonging to school is a strong protective factor against developing mental health problems and has been found to be related to healthy psychological functioning, physical health and academic motivation.
The benefits of school belonging also appear to extend well into adulthood as related to mental health, exposure to physical violence (both as a perpetrator and a victim), reduced drug misuse, and engagement in employment and further study. Despite evidence that suggests many educational settings prioritise belonging, there is a lack of research and understanding in relation to how belonging is understood and fostered for younger age groups.
While the inclusion of belonging in the Australian Early Years Learning Framework highlights its importance in early childhood education, there is a gap in how belonging is understood, measured, and implemented in these early age groups compared to other life stages. Monash Education proposes to partner with AERO to redress this gap. This joint effort will facilitate new and novel research methods to design a draft measure that supports the assessment of belonging in young children.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF OUR APPROACH?
✓ Our proposal builds from a rigorous research design
✓ The project's outcomes will produce a pioneering, world-first preliminary measure of belonging specifically tailored for the early years.
✓ The research conducted in this project will significantly address the current knowledge gap surrounding belonging in the early years.
✓ The innovative draft measure combines visual elements, age-appropriate dichotomous items, and compatibility with online formats, making it a unique and versatile assessment tool.
✓ The project is anticipated to yield practical and applicable benefits for parents and educators of children aged 3 to 8, enhancing understanding and support of belonging in educational contexts.
The benefits of school belonging also appear to extend well into adulthood as related to mental health, exposure to physical violence (both as a perpetrator and a victim), reduced drug misuse, and engagement in employment and further study. Despite evidence that suggests many educational settings prioritise belonging, there is a lack of research and understanding in relation to how belonging is understood and fostered for younger age groups.
While the inclusion of belonging in the Australian Early Years Learning Framework highlights its importance in early childhood education, there is a gap in how belonging is understood, measured, and implemented in these early age groups compared to other life stages. Monash Education proposes to partner with AERO to redress this gap. This joint effort will facilitate new and novel research methods to design a draft measure that supports the assessment of belonging in young children.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF OUR APPROACH?
✓ Our proposal builds from a rigorous research design
✓ The project's outcomes will produce a pioneering, world-first preliminary measure of belonging specifically tailored for the early years.
✓ The research conducted in this project will significantly address the current knowledge gap surrounding belonging in the early years.
✓ The innovative draft measure combines visual elements, age-appropriate dichotomous items, and compatibility with online formats, making it a unique and versatile assessment tool.
✓ The project is anticipated to yield practical and applicable benefits for parents and educators of children aged 3 to 8, enhancing understanding and support of belonging in educational contexts.
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 16/08/23 → 15/12/23 |