Comfort, care, and connection
Young adolescents’ perspectives on school belonging across elementary, middle, and secondary contexts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21578149 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tonje Molyneux (0000-0002-5789-6210, University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Anusha Kassan (0000-0002-7614-9034, University of British Columbia), Jenna Shapka (University of British Columbia), E Oberle (0000-0001-7815-2563, Learning Partnership) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 139 |
| Pages | 103022 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Educational Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0883-0355 • E-ISSN: 1873-538X |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ijer.2026.103022 |
| OpenAlex | W7162434170 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
School belonging—the psychological sense of being valued, accepted, and connected within the school community—is critical for young adolescents’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. Despite three decades of quantitative research documenting its importance, qualitative research centering young adolescents’ own perspectives on what creates or undermines their belonging experiences remains limited. This study addresses this gap through focus group discussions with 114 Grade 6, 7, and 8 students across five schools in British Columbia, Canada, representing different organizational structures (elementary, middle, and secondary schools). Using six-phase thematic analysis grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological framework, three primary themes emerged: comfort, care, and connection. Students described belonging as emerging from experiences of physical and psychological safety (comfort), feeling valued and acknowledged as individuals (care), and meaningful relationships within the school community (connection). Exploratory analysis of theme frequency by school type revealed that comfort figured more prominently in middle school students’ descriptions (43.2%) compared to elementary (23.2%) or secondary contexts (38.4%), while care and connection were emphasized more frequently by elementary students. These patterns suggest developmental variation in belonging experiences that aligns with research on early adolescent transitions internationally. Findings demonstrate that effective belonging-promotion efforts must simultaneously address interpersonal relationships, organizational practices, and environmental conditions—insights with implications for educational policy and practice across diverse international contexts where schools increasingly serve as critical sites for addressing youth mental health and social connection
Exploratory research · Feeling · Focus group · Grounded theory · Interpersonal communication · Mental health · Qualitative research · Thematic analysis · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Early Childhood Education and Development · Youth Development and Social Support
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| Highly cited | No |
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