Authors –
It was Aditi’s first day at school in an unfamiliar city. As she walked through the corridor, her heart raced under the weight of curious stares. A few students passed by, laughing at inside jokes she could not understand. The classroom was filled with empty chairs – each one feeling like a lonely island. Aditi chose the one farthest in the corner. No one noticed. No one said anything.
By the second week of school, Aditi wasn’t merely dreading school but she started to feel her loneliness whispering “Maybe you just don’t fit in. Maybe you’re not good enough for this place”.
Like Aditi, many students worldwide experience social isolation in school which is costing us more than what we realize (Liepins & Cline, 2011).
Belonging is more than just a buzzword – it’s backed by science
For a very long time, policymakers and educators viewed ‘the sense of belonging’ as merely a feel good idea and a nice bonus, in case one experiences it. Today, science tells us otherwise. The sense of belonging is a crucial pillar for a student’s success (Block, 2018).
Studies conducted by the National Research Council (2003) in Washington DC have shown that students who feel a sense of belonging in their school community are more likely to be motivated, score better and are less likely to drop out. In addition, a study conducted by Arslan and Coşkun (2022) reported that a strong sense of belonging can not only shield against psychosocial distress but can also help students foster academic resilience, social functioning and overall psychological wellbeing.
Why? Because at core, we are social animals and we are fundamentally wired to connect and bond with each other (Tomasello, 2014). Looking at human evolution, being a part of a tribe or belonging to a clan was not optional but was necessary for survival. Although years have passed
and the world has changed significantly, our brains and the need for belonging have still remained the same. Even today, social exclusion fires up the same neural pathways as physical pain (Eisenberger, 2012).
According to Felten and Lambert (2020), feeling disconnected with people around us can trigger significant mental distress, causing reduced focus, brain fogging and weakened ability to solve problems. Thus, disconnection not only hurts the mental status but also directly hinders the
process and experience of learning.
The growing gap of belonging
People are constantly competing with each other for success, recognition and opportunities. As technology advances, it only adds to the race, making the gap in genuine human connections and belonging grow wider with each generation.
In addition, social media creates an illusion of connection. It acts as a medium to create superficial bonds and often leaves students comparing the reel lives to their own realities. As no real bonds are being fostered, there is a void – a sense of loneliness that looms over despite being connected to thousands of people online (Nowland et al., 2017). Hence, the true sense of belonging goes missing. The pressures to excel in academic settings might unintentionally
exclude or sideline those who do not match the pace, such as first generation learners (Felten & Lambert, 2020) . Instead of bringing students together, the competitive academic environment pushes them further away from each other.
The power of little moments
Kobi Yamada, a best selling author, suggests “Believe that there’s light at the end of the tunnel and believe that you might be that light for someone else”. One can always hope to bring
changes as the sense of belonging is not necessarily inherent but can be fostered and cultivated. Students can make thoughtful gestures, like inviting a classmate to sit with them or teachers can ask the student’s name and make them feel heard in order to build meaningful connections
(Dickinson & Kreitmair, 2019). To truly foster a sense of belonging, a student must first feel included in the classroom.
Let us come back to Aditi’s story. Three weeks after Aditi joined the new school, her science teacher noticed her silence and asked Aditi about her favorite science experiment towards the end of the class. They spoke for a few minutes. The next day, Aditi was encouraged to
demonstrate her favorite science experiment in the class while explaining the rationale behind it. Applause followed. Soon after, a girl sitting on the adjacent table invited Aditi to join the science club. The shift was very subtle yet powerful. Aditi no longer dreaded school and looked forward to each day. Her grades went up so did her motivation and confidence. This is the invisible magic of experiencing a sense of belonging. It not only reshapes human experiences but also the perception of life.
Moving from insight to action
For students to thrive, fostering a sense of belonging in the classroom settings must be a priority. Schools and colleges need to train teachers to cultivate inclusive classrooms where every student’s voice is heard and valued. Also, promoting peer mentoring and community building
activities to foster a sense of belonging is essential (Divoll, 2010). At policy level, curriculum must be reconceptualized to integrate the diverse experiences and encourage students to
collaborate rather than compete. Investing in mental health resources should also be a mandatory practice to address the issue of social isolation.
Above all we need a shift in mindset – from one that first asks “how well did you perform?” to the one who first asks “do you feel like you belong here?”! We need to construct a more
inclusive and a more compassionate society that fosters bonds and emotions.
Now is the moment!
In a world that is rapidly turning more individualistic and distracted than ever, the need for belonging is of paramount importance. As students navigate their way through the 21st century
VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, their resilience will not just be dependent on acquiring more knowledge but on fostering deep rooted and real emotional bonds that give them the certainty of being seen, heard and valued.
Scientific research clearly attests to the power of belonging and now is the time to implement it to build classrooms and communities where every learner knows that ‘They matter and They belong’!
Works cited
- Arslan, G., & Coşkun, M. (2022). School belongingness in academically at-risk adolescents: Addressing psychosocial functioning and psychological well-being. Journal of Happiness and Health, 3(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.47602/johah.v3i1.9
- Block, P. (2018). Community: The structure of belonging. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated.
- Committee on Increasing High School Students’ Engagement and Motivation to Learn, National Research Council. (2003). Engaging schools: Fostering high school students’ motivation to learn. National Academies Press.
- Dickinson, A. R., & Kreitmair, U. W. (2019). The importance of feeling cared for: Does a student’s perception of how much a professor cares about student success relate to class performance? Journal of Political Science Education, 17(3), 356–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2019.1659803
- Divoll, K. A. (2010). (dissertation). Creating classroom relationships that allow students to feel known. University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Mass.
- Eisenberger, N. I. (2012). The pain of social disconnection: Examining the shared neural underpinnings of physical and social pain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(6), 421–434. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3231
- Felten, P., & Lambert, L. M. (2020). Relationship-rich education: How human connections drive success in college. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Liepins, M., & Cline, T. (2011). The development of concepts of loneliness during the early years in school. School Psychology International, 32(4), 397–411. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034311404132
- Nowland, R., Necka, E. A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2017). Loneliness and social internet use: Pathways to reconnection in a Digital World? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1), 70–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617713052
- Tomasello, M. (2014). The ultra‐social animal. European Journal of Social Psychology, 44(3), 187–194. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2015
