The purpose of this research is to investigate the feeling of belonging that students may or may not have and the relationship of student sense of belonging to the overall academic achievement of a school. Students were surveyed on their sense of belonging in selected middle schools. The students scored themselves on the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, which revealed an overall mean score of belonging. Students from high-performing schools were compared to students from low-performing schools in regard to their sense of belonging. Additionally, teachers were asked to rate their perception of the students’ sense of belonging. The teachers’ scores were compared to the students’ scores in both high- and low-performing schools. Lastly, teachers were asked to provide qualitative information about the schools’ role in creating a sense of belonging. An extensive review of the literature regarding sense of belonging reveals support of the importance of sense of belonging in student achievement. There is also extensive evidence regarding variation of sense of belonging among minority groups and the important role of teachers in creating a sense of belonging for students. This study found that there is no significant difference in students’ reported sense of belonging between high-performing schools and low-performing schools on the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale. There is a significant difference between the teachers’ perception of the students’ sense of belonging and the students’ reported sense of belonging on the Psychological Sense of School Membership scales. Teachers reported important roles in creating an environment of belonging. The qualitative data provided by teachers support evidence from the literature review indicative of schools with sense of belonging. High-performing schools do not report much information regarding discipline and routine as being important parts of creating belonging. However, low performing schools often report these as important to creating a sense of belonging for students. Implications of the research include: Teachers may not have an accurate understanding of students’ sense of belonging and how to create a sense of belonging in schools. Further study should try to gain better understanding of the relationship between sense of belonging and minority status.

This thesis is concerned with the presentation of a three year project investigating mainstream teachers' attitudes towards inclusion in one Local Educational Authority in the Southwest of England. The study used both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The first phase of the project involved a survey which indicated that educating students with significant disabilities in mainstream classrooms results in positive changes in educators' attitudes. Here, the study confirmed previous research, which reported that teachers show positive commitment after they have gained mastery of the professional expertise needed to implement inclusive programmes. Further, the survey highlighted the ý importance and effectiveness of substantial self-reflective critical professional development, which results in the acquisition of generic teaching skills necessary for meeting the needs of all children, as opposed to short term technical responses to specific needs. The qualitative phase of the project involved in-depth case studies of two individual schools which considered the whole issue of inclusion from a holistic perspective. The results of the qualitative phase indicated that there are distinctions to be drawn between integration (seen as "participation") and inclusion ("participation7' and "belonging") -this was further highlighted by students' personal accounts of bullying within the secondary school which described itself as "inclusive". The qualitative aspects of the study highlighted the conclusion that "inclusive practice" is seen more in terms of integration than inclusion -students have their specific learning needsw ell met within the schools,b, ut their personal needs are not well supported.T he results indicate that in order to achieve inclusion, schools must look to restructuring to support personal as well as social needs. Such restructuring is dependent on specific professional development (as indicated in the quantitative study) which supports the needs of learners within "inclusive" (holistic) frameworks. 4

This report focuses on the intersections between diaspora and indigeneity in the nation-state of Guyana. To illustrate this conflicting, yet overlapping relationship, I examine the nature of state indigenous governing policies by tracing the colonial genealogy of the current 2006 Amerindian Act. I draw on the analytics of settler-colonialism, specifically the “logic of elimination,” to analyze dominant representations of indigeneity in the legislation, which grants recognition of collective rights and ancestral lands while constructing a narrative of national unity and belonging. Ultimately, this report seeks to sheds new light on an indigenous identification as a rights-bearing subject and ultimately rethinks indigenous/non-indigenous social and political relations. / text

No description available.

For immigrant and refugee youth, the experience of migration presents significant life changes in their environments, communities, and interpersonal affiliations (Kilbride, Anisef, Baichman-Anisef & Khattar, 2001). Before immigrating to Canada, some refugee youth experienced horrific events that can be traumatic to the fragile identities and sense of belonging of developing children and adolescents. Once in Canada, loneliness, isolation, language deficits, different cultural practices, and in some cases different skin colors may isolate refugee youth and thus jeopardise their sense of belonging in their new country. This study investigated a sense of belonging of war affected refugee youth during their pre-migration and post-migration periods, as well as the factors that may enhance or hinder their sense of belonging. Fifteen participants were interviewed and their responses clearly indicated their desire and need to belong in their new country, to be liked, loved, respected, included, and be part of their new society. Recommendations on how educators can support their quest for belonging and inclusion are discussed.

For immigrant and refugee youth, the experience of migration presents significant life changes in their environments, communities, and interpersonal affiliations (Kilbride, Anisef, Baichman-Anisef & Khattar, 2001). Before immigrating to Canada, some refugee youth experienced horrific events that can be traumatic to the fragile identities and sense of belonging of developing children and adolescents. Once in Canada, loneliness, isolation, language deficits, different cultural practices, and in some cases different skin colors may isolate refugee youth and thus jeopardise their sense of belonging in their new country. This study investigated a sense of belonging of war affected refugee youth during their pre-migration and post-migration periods, as well as the factors that may enhance or hinder their sense of belonging. Fifteen participants were interviewed and their responses clearly indicated their desire and need to belong in their new country, to be liked, loved, respected, included, and be part of their new society. Recommendations on how educators can support their quest for belonging and inclusion are discussed.

The study described in this thesis represents one of the first attempts to explore belongingness as a practice among aid workers, and to contribute to our understanding of how people account for belonging in situ. In psychology, belongingness has predominantly been studied in laboratory settings, or among those who report not belonging in some way. This has led to concerns about ecological validity, and a neglect of ‘real world’ contexts in the development of belongingness theory. Through semi‐structured interviews with 25 international aid workers, using web‐based calling software (Skype), a discursive psychological approach was employed to rework belongingness as a discursive practice. Belonging was found to be an activity for which participants made themselves accountable, and in so doing worked to manage issues of blame and justification in their interactions. Aid workers constructed fitting in as necessary, but ultimately futile, formulating accounts around inherent and immutable differences with local people. The analysis also explored the ways in which participants constructed efforts to achieve belonging; much of which involved the manipulation of appearance, particularly the use of strategic dressing. Through analysis of participants’ treatment of belonging in interaction it was found that, in practice, belonging was formulated as a continuum rather than a dichotomy.

Thesis advisor: Suzanne Matson / “A Shout in the Street” is a poetry collection that seeks to explore the ways in which a lyric speaker determines their linguistic relationship to the world. The collection mediates between personal memory and external representations of beauty, searching for a connection, or at least an opening to constitute the self within. At the heart of this project is the speaker’s longing for that which cannot be named — a word, poem, or hand that lies just outside of reach. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: English.

No description available.

Creating a Computer Science and Software Engineering Department that supports students with diverse identities and backgrounds is essential to creating a computing workforce that reflects the world at large. Inspired by the work of Metcalf et al.'s survey conducted at the University of Illinois, we use the same methods to examine the state of our computing department with respect to issues of inclusive climate and student sense of belonging, which have been shown to be important for retention in STEM fields. We use the four areas that contribute to belonging based on the work of Rainey et al. along with a fifth category of learning environment in order to assess our students' sense of belonging. This paper's main focus is based on results from two surveys of Cal Poly Students conducted exactly one year apart (2019: n=154, 2020: n=122). Both surveys were sent to all computing majors in Spring quarter, the last quarter of the regular academic year. We found that 58-68\% of students felt they were not typical computer scientists, which mirrors the results of the survey conducted at the University of Illinois, indicating that the lack of belonging is perhaps a ubiquitous problem within the field of computing. Other salient results include identifying the presence of statistically significant differences for some groups based on gender and race & ethnicity. These differences were found when looking at students' senses of their science identity and learning environment. We also found that women had a significantly greater chance of having strong interpersonal relationships within computing. The survey results are augmented by a survey of first-quarter freshmen in Fall 2019 (n=44) and student interviews conducted in Spring 2021 (n=15). We hope that the addition of these results explain and expand upon our main results and add insight as to how the student experience can evolve from a student's first quarter onward. These differences shine an important light on some positive trends as well as several concerning differences to be examined in our quest to create a diverse and equitable department.