School belonging constellations considering complete mental health in primary schools

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The investigation of school belonging is crucial due to its established significant associations with mental health, academic achievement, and risky behaviours coupled with the limited research documenting the configurations of children’s school belonging experiences.

Objective: This study sought to better understand elementary students’ experiences of school belonging and how they correspond to mental health outcomes.

Method: The current study explores school belonging in upper elementary school California students (N = 619). Latent profile analysis was conducted to determine the constellations of experiences. Path analyses were then added to the model to determine mental health outcomes for each emerging profile.

Results: Latent profile analysis revealed the best fit for a three-profile solution: Low School Belonging, Moderate School Belonging, and High School Belonging. The majority of students were classified in the Low and Moderate School Belonging profiles. Demographic covariates indicated that female and Latinx students were more likely to experience high belonging than males and non-Latinx students. Concerning proximal outcomes, students in the High School Belonging profile reported higher psychological strengths and lower psychological distress.

Conclusion: Practical implications include assessing and promoting school belonging more effectively in students, given the small percentage of students who perceive high levels of school belonging.

KEY POINTS

(1) Results indicated support for a three-profile solution: High, Moderate, and Low School Belonging levels, with the majority of students falling in the Moderate (51%) and Low (33%) profiles. This suggests that elementary school students may need additional support and intervention to increase levels of belonging.

(2) The High, Moderate, and Low School Belonging profiles corresponded to expected complete mental health outcomes, with students in the High profile reporting the lowest levels of psychological distress and highest levels of strengths. Students in the Low profile reported the highest levels of psychological distress and the lowest levels of strengths. This suggests that about 1/3 of students experienced low complete mental health in addition to low school belonging.

(3) Female students were more likely to fall in the High profile, which is supported by prior research. Additionally, Latinx students were more likely to fall into the High and Low School Belonging profiles, suggesting a polarization effect. This may be due to differing factors within the Latinx populations, such as socioeconomic status or English Language Learner status. Future research is warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• School belonging
• latent profile analysis
• primary school students

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences [R305A160157].