Navigating School Belonging in Qatari Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study of Student Perspectives
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| Title: | Navigating School Belonging in Qatari Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study of Student Perspectives |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kelly-Ann Allen (ORCID |
| Source: | European Journal of Education. 2024 59(4). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Student School Relationship, Secondary School Students, Student Attitudes, Distance Education, In Person Learning, Teacher Role, School Role, Caring, Teacher Student Relationship, Learner Engagement, Educational Environment, School Policy, Peer Relationship |
| Geographic Terms: | Qatar |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ejed.12704 |
| ISSN: | 0141-8211 1465-3435 |
| Abstract: | A sense of school belonging is essential for adolescent development, though there is limited research investigating ways to improve students' sense of school belonging in Qatar. With 116 Qatari secondary school students, the current study explored student perspectives of ways teachers and schools could improve their sense of school belonging. Students responded to a survey including open-ended questions and a descriptive scale measuring the usefulness of established belonging strategies during remote learning, in-person, or all the time (both). Encouragement and support from teachers were found to be useful all the time, with school activities during breaks and opportunities to make friends only being useful during school-based learning. From the examination of open-ended responses using a hybrid qualitative approach with inductive and deductive coding, two overarching themes each at the teacher-level and school-level were found, defined by several subthemes. Belonging practices at the teacher-level included caring and supportive teachers and teachers treating students as people. Belonging practices at the school-level included student engagement and a positive and supportive school environment. For Qatari students practices such as prioritising supportive student-teacher relationships, introducing policies which promote a respectful, fair and safe environment, and offering school wide-extracurricular activities that encourage peer connections are important to develop their sense of school belonging. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1450364 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | A sense of school belonging is essential for adolescent development, though there is limited research investigating ways to improve students' sense of school belonging in Qatar. With 116 Qatari secondary school students, the current study explored student perspectives of ways teachers and schools could improve their sense of school belonging. Students responded to a survey including open-ended questions and a descriptive scale measuring the usefulness of established belonging strategies during remote learning, in-person, or all the time (both). Encouragement and support from teachers were found to be useful all the time, with school activities during breaks and opportunities to make friends only being useful during school-based learning. From the examination of open-ended responses using a hybrid qualitative approach with inductive and deductive coding, two overarching themes each at the teacher-level and school-level were found, defined by several subthemes. Belonging practices at the teacher-level included caring and supportive teachers and teachers treating students as people. Belonging practices at the school-level included student engagement and a positive and supportive school environment. For Qatari students practices such as prioritising supportive student-teacher relationships, introducing policies which promote a respectful, fair and safe environment, and offering school wide-extracurricular activities that encourage peer connections are important to develop their sense of school belonging. |
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| ISSN: | 0141-8211 1465-3435 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ejed.12704 |
