Academic achievement among Latino adolescents was examined to determine what contextual factors contribute to school success. ANCOVA analyses indicated that lower levels of perceived discrimination and a higher sense of school belonging were associated with better grades. Neighborhood social capital was not associated with school grades. More adaptation stress was associated with lower grades for US-reared students, but it was not associated with grades for more recent Latino immigrants. The findings suggest that discrimination, school belonging, and adaptation stress play an important role in academic achievement among Latino youth. They also suggest that immigrants may be more academically resilient than their second generation peers in the face of adaptation stress.

A study was conducted among a sample of Korean American students to investigate the potential moderation of the risks related to English proficiency by the protection of school belonging. Perceived scholastic competence, self-reported school grades, and academic expectancies were used for dependent variables. It was hypothesized that students with higher sense of belonging would be less affected by English proficiency than their peers with lower sense of belonging. The risk of English proficiency was confirmed. However, school belonging did not have as much of an effect as expected and students with higher English proficiency seemed to gain more benefit from increased school belonging. This finding reminds educators of the pressing importance of English proficiency, and future research is suggested to investigate the unique effects of belonging among students of Korean, and perhaps other Asian, backgrounds.

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For many years, educators, psychologists and parents have expressed concern about the apparent deterioration of pupil motivation and performance after children move to secondary school. This study used a longitudinal design to examine the transfer process from the perspective of a group of 393 children (195 boys, 198 girls) as they moved from 19 primary schools to four secondary schools in Fife. Children’s self-perceptions of school commitment, school belonging, school participation, self-esteem and global wellbeing were evaluated four times over a 13 month period, twice before transfer in the final year of primary school and twice after transfer in the first year of secondary school. Information was also collected about family and home life, emotions, lifestyle and school on each occasion. The data was analysed using multilevel modelling in order to examine how each of the five outcome variables changed over the time of the study, and how they related to a series of independent variables. It was anticipated that changes in these outcomes may have occurred immediately after the move to secondary school, perhaps followed by an improvement six months later after they had adapted to changes and settled in to their new schools. The results showed that, contrary to expectations, all outcomes except school participation recorded an improvement at wave 3, immediately after the transfer to secondary school. However, there was some evidence that after an initial ‘honeymoon period’, children perceived certain aspects of school in a less positive light and by wave 4 there was a decline in all outcomes except for the perception of self-esteem, which continued to improve. Since wave 4 was only a few months after transition, a significant change in children’s views is seen quite quickly after transfer. It is not clear whether this represents a return to a more realistic level or if this signals the beginning of a more prolonged negative attitude towards school and education in general. The general conclusion is that the process of transfer to secondary schools is well managed, but it might be helpful for induction programmes to prepare children for the changes in teaching and learning methods that might be encountered, and perhaps other types of programme might be beneficial during the first year.

Parce qu’il est notamment lié à des facteurs de réussite scolaire et d’adaptation sociale (Eccles & Roeser, 2009; Finn, 1989; Janosz, Georges, & Parent, 1998), le sentiment d’appartenance des élèves est considéré comme étant un élément de première instance qui doit d’être développé et maintenu par les professionnels de l’éducation (MELS, 2012). L'objectif général visait à approfondir notre compréhension du sentiment d’appartenance à l’école. Pour répondre à cet objectif général, trois articles de recherche distincts ont été élaborés. Le premier article présente une analyse conceptuelle visant à clarifier la compréhension du concept de sentiment d’appartenance à l’école. La méthode conceptuelle privilégiée dans cet article est celle de Walker et Avant (2011). La recension des écrits et les référents empiriques répertoriés indiquent que ce concept est de nature multidimensionnelle. L’analyse des données indique quatre attributs définitionnels. L’élève doit : (1) ressentir une émotion positive à l’égard du milieu scolaire; (2) entretenir des relations sociales de qualité avec les membres du milieu scolaire; (3) s’impliquer activement dans les activités de la classe ou celles de l’école; (4) percevoir une certaine synergie (harmonisation), voir même une similarité, avec les membres de son groupe. À la suite de cette étude permettant de mieux comprendre le sentiment d’appartenance à l’école, le deuxième article visait à examiner la structure factorielle et l'invariance de l’instrument de mesure du sentiment d’appartenance Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) au regard du sexe des élèves. Cette étude a été menée chez un échantillon composé de 766 filles et de 391 garçons de troisième secondaire. Les analyses factorielles confirmatoires ont indiqué une structure à trois facteurs : (1) la qualité des relations entre les élèves; (2) la qualité des relations entre les élèves et l’enseignant; ainsi que (3) le sentiment d’acceptation par le milieu. Les analyses factorielles multigroupes ont indiqué pour leur part que le PSSM est un instrument invariant chez les filles et les garçons de troisième secondaire. Finalement, le troisième article a été mené chez un échantillon de 4166 élèves de niveau secondaire afin d’examiner les processus psychologiques complexes s’opérant entre le sentiment d’appartenance et le rendement scolaire (Anderman & Freeman, 2004; Connell & et al., 1994; Roeser et al., 1996). Afin d’examiner ces processus psychologiques, quatre hypothèses issues du modèle de Freeman-Anderman ont été validées par le biais d’analyses acheminatoires : H1 Les affects positifs médiatisent partiellement et positivement l’effet du sentiment d’appartenance sur l’engagement comportemental; H2 Les affects positifs médiatisent partiellement et positivement l’effet du sentiment d’appartenance sur l’engagement affectif; H3 Les affects positifs médiatisent partiellement et positivement l’effet du sentiment d’appartenance sur l’engagement cognitif; H4 Les engagements affectif, cognitif et comportemental médiatisent partiellement et positivement l’effet du sentiment d’appartenance sur le rendement scolaire. Nos résultats appuient partiellement la première hypothèse de recherche tout en soutenant les hypothèses deux, trois et quatre. Spécifiquement, la relation entre le sentiment d’appartenance et l’engagement émotionnel montre davantage un effet direct qu’un effet indirect (H2). L’étude a produit des résultats similaires pour l’engagement cognitif (H3). Finalement, la relation entre le sentiment d’appartenance et le rendement scolaire indique un effet indirect plus grand qu’un effet direct (H4). À la lumière de ces résultats, des recommandations à l’intention des professionnels de l’éducation sont offertes en guise de conclusion. / Since it is tightly linked to a certain number of positive consequences (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2008; Finn, 1989; Roeser & Eccles, 2009; Tinto 1987; Wehlage et al., 1989), school belonging is considered an important element that needs to be developed and maintained by Education professionals (MELS, 2012). This emphasis on school belonging instigated our doctoral research. The purpose of this study was to investigate further the concept of school belonging. We decided that the results obtained ought to be presented in three separate research articles. This first article outlines a conceptual analysis to clarify the concept of the sense of school belonging. It focusses on Walker and Avant’s (2011) conceptual method. This method is useful to understand fully a concept. Data were collected through a comprehensive review of French and English definitions. The literature review and empirical referents gathered show that the concept is of a multidimensional nature. Data analysis shows four specific features. A student must : (1) feel a positive emotion; (2) interact socially; (3) get involved in his(her) environment; (4) perceive some similarity with members of his(her) group (fit). After having understood the meaning of school belonging in the article 1, the second article aims at examining the factorial structure and the invariance of the instrument Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) with regards to boys and girls. The PSSM is a tool used to measure students' school belonging. This study was conducted among a sample of 766 girls and 391 boys in 10th grade. Three factors were identified, each representing students’ perceptions of their school environment: (1) quality of social relations students-students; (2) quality of social relations students-teachers and (3) feeling of acceptance. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the PSSM is an invariant instrument with regard to girls and boys. Finally, the third article was conducted with 4166 (12th grade) high school students to determine the ways school belonging can be connected to academic achievement (Anderman & Freeman, 2004; Connell & et al., 1994; Roeser et al., 1996). To more thoroughly investigate these psychological processes, we applied the Anderman-Freeman model to validate the following hypotheses through path analysis; H1 Positive emotions positively and partially mediate the relationship between school belonging and behavioral engagement; H2 Positive emotions positively and partially mediate the relationship between school belonging and emotional engagement; H3 Positive emotions positively and partially mediate the positive relationship between school belonging and cognitive engagement; H4 Emotional, cognitive and behavioral engagement positively and partially mediate the positive relationship between school belonging and academic achievement. Our results partially support the first hypothesis. Our findings do support hypotheses two, three and four. Specifically, the relationship between school belonging and emotional engagement shows a more direct than an indirect effect (hypothesis two). The study produced similar results for cognitive engagement, i.e., a direct effect (hypothesis three). Finally, the relationship between school belonging and academic achievement indicates a more indirect than direct effect (hypothesis four). To conclude, we suggest some recommendations aimed at Education professionals.

ABSTRACT The shift in the nation’s political climate between 2016-2019 has exacerbated the longstanding pervasive issues of racism and discrimination against People of Color and those marginalized by societal inequity. This has serious implications for teaching and schooling, as it causes children to feel unsafe, question their sense of belonging, and internalize racial oppression. Indicators of inequitable school experiences for Students of Color and students from marginalized identity groups warrant attention to the socially determined facets of public education: specifically a sense of school belonging (SOSB) for Students of Color, the impact of racial trauma, the patterns of social engagement that shape their experiences, as well as the pedagogical practices teachers employ to support their social-emotional wellbeing. This qualitative case study seeks to illustrate how classroom teachers at Arday Elementary School support the social-emotional wellbeing of Students of Color by examining their understanding of racial trauma and SOSB and their use of equity literate pedagogies in the classroom to effectively support their Students of Color in a public elementary school in Northern New England. Findings include the hidden curriculum, teacher critical consciousness, cultural congruence, learning environment, racial trauma, and resistance. These findings point to a newly conceptualized framework, Equity Pedagogy for Social-Emotional Wellbeing (EPSEW), which applies a social determinants perspective to examinations of educational inequity and considers the social and community contexts that predetermine and influence inequitable outcomes. Keywords: equity pedagogy, equity literacy, social determinants, school belonging, racial trauma, internalized racism, social emotional well-being, critical pedagogy, anti-bias education

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of middle school students particularly focusing on the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students. Existing data show that there is an increasing cohort of school children experiencing poverty, either short or long term. For poor middle school students, the risk for school failure is amplified by the general risks associated with middle school transition and early adolescence development. The cumulative nature of these risks is often associated with undesirable school outcomes including grade retention, behavior problems, absenteeism, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, fewer years of schooling, and lower academic achievement. However, there is evidence that some students succeed in spite of adversity, which is often attributed to protective factors present in the students’ own immediate environment – school, home, and community. This current study, therefore, examined the relationship between two potential protective factors–parent involvement and school belonging–and student achievement. Previous research has established that parent involvement and school belonging are both associated with positive school outcomes including academic motivation, self-efficacy, internal locus of control, pro-social and on-task behavior, school engagement, educational aspirations and expectations, and better academic achievement. Consequently, this study examined three main questions: (a) How is parental involvement associated with academic achievement for economically disadvantaged eighth grade students? (b) How school belonging associated with academic achievement for economically disadvantaged eighth grade students? (c) Do the relations between parent involvement, school belonging, and eighth grade achievement vary as a function of prior achievement and middle school? To answer these research questions, this study used the nationally representative longitudinal data from Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten (ECLS-K) Class of 1998/99. The findings for this study showed that when parent involvement and school belonging were considered together, the association between parent involvement and student achievement diminished while school belonging consistently emerged as a significant predictor of achievement. However, while school belonging emerged as a significant predictor of achievement, this study established that students’ prior achievement was the single strong and significant factor explaining achievement for poor eighth grade students. / text

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