• Students who feel more connected to their schools are more likely to do well in school and to report higher School connectedness is an important protective factor for many students. • a sense of school connectedness is one of the most important factors in promoting socio-emotional well-being and positive youth development. In Canada, approximately 14 to 25% of children and youth experience mental health concerns (Waddell, Shepherd, Chen & Boyle, 2013). In essence school belonging is good educational practice and should be regarded as part of the wider inclusive approach to education (Anderson & Boyle, 2015). Having good relationships, feeling safe and feeling like they belong at school helps youth to make healthy choices. Students are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected to school. Why is school connectedness so important? School connectedness —the belief held by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals—is an important protective factor. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health looked at the impact of protective factors on ado­ lescent health and well­being among more than 36,000 7 th–12 grade students. From the earliest days of childcare, children adjust to consistent attendance. As integral parts, each side must advocate for the students well being and integral growth as well as a sense of connectedness to their educational environment,  ensuring that the school experience is something that is looked forward to and valued. For some schools, this means building a sense of belonging by going to students’ homes and picking them up or providing breakfast clubs or activities that foster routine attendance. Students are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected to school. Social connectedness plays an important role in older adults’ well-being (Ashida & Heaney, 2008; Gardner, 2011; Haslam et al., 2008), and has a positive effect on physical and mental health (Cornwell, Laumann, & Schumm, 2008). We believe in the free flow of information. Dr. Bowles from the University of Melbourne and his team are “researching connectedness in primary and secondary schools to help find ways to build and strengthen this important plank in the education system. A school is a building, but the people inside of it, and surrounding it are connected. Simply put, the sequential, four factor model is that attending leads to belonging, which leads to engagement, which leads to flow. In said ecosystem, we can easily predict what will happen; the larger hungrier fish eat the smaller fish. As students gain a sense of belonging “they can become engaged and immersed in a learning environment that prompts positive social engagement in and beyond the school… Students (then naturally gravitate towards a) state of ‘flow’ (where) they (can extend) themselves beyond the familiar, experiencing intense immersion, involved in activities that are highly challenging and rewarding, and lead to transcendent levels of achievement.”. The University would seek your prior written consent before using your personal information for any purpose other than that which is described above and before disclosing your personal information to any third party. The benefits of social connectedness shouldn’t be overlooked. Rationale: School connectedness measures vary widely in content. It influences regular school attendance, which is key to improved education and health outcomes. #CommissionsEarned. But, in so many schools, the focus on the curriculum and educational outcomes like NAPLAN results, without a deep foundation of valued relationships and worthwhile routines and experiences, means that for some students school is a ‘desert’ experience to be avoided and devalued. Having a connection between students and teachers is key to a successful school. For students to experience ‘belonging’, they will typically have positive experiences of school, feel their values align with the school’s, and have good relationships with their peers. Students who feel connected to their school are. School connectedness is an important protective factor for many students. It This is where “School Connectedness” proves to play a crucial role. Why is school connectedness so important? Two of the factors in the new model are focused on building relationships - attending and belonging, and two are based on school performance - engaging and flow. This will lead to valuable insights and possible interventions to improve students’ attendance and connectedness and to turn the desert experience into an oasis. It influences regular school attendance, which is key to improved education and health outcomes. Its impact needs to be profound and satisfactory so that our children may depart with the necessary academic independence and tenacity that can be carried with them into the competitive professional arena. Connectedness also highlights the importance of the Education Triangle, whose pillars consist of parents, students, and school staff. Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. Why is social connectedness important for health and well-being? It is fundamental to student success that these three sides achieve and remain in harmony. Feeling connected to others is considered to be a fundamental psychological need, so it’s important for teachers to experience a sense of connectedness at school—just as much as students. between school connectedness and learning, specifically a correlation between belonging, ... important field. School connectedness is particularly important for young people who are at increased risk for feeling alienated or isolated from others. Picture: Getty ImagesOccasionally, there will also be positive, peak experiences where students will have immersive or transcendent moments - from a daily or weekly ‘buzz’ through to potentially life-changing flow.Further research is needed to better understand the processes and practices that enhance connectedness in Australian schools and internationally. For students to experience ‘belonging’, they will typically have positive experiences of school, feel their values align with the school’s, and have good relationships with their peers. In fact, studies indicate that teachers’ view of their school climate can be linked to their job satisfaction and self-efficacy in the classroom. How can school encourage connectedness?Finding what really works in educationRead moreFor most students attending school is not a major problem. Robert Blum explains that “research on students’ attachment to the schools they attend is conducted in a variety of disciplines: education, health, psychology and sociology” (2004, p.1). School connectedness was found to be the strongest protective factor for both boys and girls to decrease substance use, school absenteeism, early sexual initiation, violence, and risk of unintentional injury (e.g., drinking and driving, not wearing seat belts). Further research is needed to better understand the processes and practices that enhance connectedness in Australian schools and internationally. School Connectedness.https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/school_connectedness.htm. ‘Attending’ is self-explanatory. Over the past 25 years, numerous studies have been conducted on school connectedness. Does your school actively reach out to those students who are repeatedly absent? Do you/ your children’s school currently implement an action plan to deter repeated absenteeism? Students who are well connected to their school: Do better academically Have less mental health problems Are more motivated Have better expectations for the future These positive relationships are an important part of ‘school connectedness’ - the degree to which students perceive the people, places and activities they experience in a meaningful and important manner. Connectedness also reduces risk-taking behaviour and violent and antisocial behaviour, as well as the likelihood of emotional problems. School connectedness is an important protective factor for many students. That is why it was deemed important to understand and evaluate the varying levels of school connectedness on different aspects of an individual’s life. Clear link between School Connectedness and academic outcomes, health risk behaviour, delinquency and violence and other markers of psychological well -being. It influences regular school attendance, which is key to improved education and health outcomes. Footnote: Levels of school connectedness are based on a scale created from responses to five questions about feeling happy, safe, close to people, a part of school, and about teachers treating students fairly. Whether your child’s school experience consists of a handful of kids in a grade where everyone is on a first-name basis or a large public school that contains more than 500 kids per grade. Although there is no commonly accepted definition of school connectedness and the elements that comprise this construct are still debated, school connectedness generally reflects the degree to which students feel like they are part of the school and are cared for by others at the school … Celebrating with events like school camps, excursions, sport days, and festivals especially where values are aligned, provides positive student experiences that builds cohesion in relationships. Follow these tips to get started. (They are) investigating how connectedness links with factors like loneliness and school achievement.” The team has found that a vast majority of schools concentrate mainly on curriculum as well as results and not so much in creating a “deep foundation of valued relationships and worthwhile routines and experiences.” The result of this negligence is that for some children, school can be considered to be an empty experience to be avoided and devalued. National Math Bee Holiday Survival Guide. School connectedness is particularly important for students who are “different” from the social norm. At the final stage of the model, when students are in a state of ‘flow’, they are extending themselves beyond the familiar, experiencing intense immersion, involved in activities that are highly challenging and rewarding, and lead to transcendent levels of achievement. The University may collect, store and handle personal information about you including but not limited to your name and email address for the sole purpose of allowing you to subscribe to Pursuit’s weekly digest of cutting-edge research findings and expert commentary. Our new research identifies key steps schools can take to help address this.What does school connectedness look like?We recently published a systematic review of the research on connectedness in the Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, which involved analysing 36 studies on the social, emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects of learning conducted between 1990 and 2016.Engaged students are motivated and free to learn without fears of not being a full member of the class or school. parents and caregivers), or other important people and organizations in their lives. These kids may feel isolated or even unsafe, so schools need to work especially hard to make sure they feel supported and included. Connectedness also reduces risk-taking behaviour and violent and antisocial behaviour, as well as the likelihood of emotional problems. School connectedness is a particularly promising protective factor. In essence school belonging is good educational practice and should be regarded as part of the wider inclusive approach to education (Anderson & Boyle, 2015). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Social groups provide us with an important part of our identity, and more than that, they teach us a set of skills that help us to live our lives. In what ways does your school currently implement school connectedness? Imagine a sea full of eager hungry fish. As part of this, we are investigating how connectedness links with factors like loneliness and school achievement. All republished articles must be attributed in the following way and contain links to both the site and original article: “This article was first published on Pursuit. This will lead to valuable insights and possible interventions to improve students’ attendance and connectedness and to turn the desert experience into an oasis. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. But, in so many schools, the focus on the curriculum and educational outcomes like NAPLAN results, without a deep foundation of valued relationships and worthwhile routines and experiences, means that for some students school is a ‘desert’ experience to be avoided and devalued. Students who feel connected to school are • More likely to attend school regularly, stay in school longer, and have higher grades and test scores. I think, if we make any attempt to remember our own experiences in school, we can agree that as amazing as it could have been, brutal it was. Banner image: Shutterstock, Associate Professor Janet Scull, Associate Professor Terry Bowles and Daniela Russo. People are engaged and respected. The University of Melbourne (University) collects, uses, handles and discloses personal information in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) (Act) and other applicable legislation. The Vancouver Foundation’s Connections and Engagement Survey, i conducted in 2012, measured social connectedness by items such as feeling alone, the number of close friends in one's neighbourhood, getting together with neighbours, and degree of neighbourhood ties. Two of the factors in the new model are focused on building relationships - attending and belonging, and two are based on school performance - engaging and flow. Picture: ShutterstockWe found that students need to attend school regularly to build relationships that enhance their sense of self and their relations with the people and groups around them. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Scientists who … School connectedness is an important protective factor for many students. We found that students need to attend school regularly to build relationships that enhance their sense of self and their relations with the people and groups around them. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. If students feel disconnected from school, their learning and even their health can suffer - new research shows how teachers can help, By Dr Terry Bowles, University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Janet Scull, Monash University and Daniela Russo, University of Melbourne. Talking about everyday worries can reduce their impact, both for you and for the people you connect with. Celebrating with events like school camps, excursions, sport days, and festivals especially where values are aligned, provides positive student experiences that builds cohesion in relationships. The model provides a template for establishing a student’s current experience of school and understanding what actions teachers need to take to help them become more connected. Once students can work together, they can become engaged and immersed in a learning environment that is future and task focused, that identifies positive possible roles and role models, that assists them to learn to plan and remain motivated, and that prompts positive social engagement in and beyond the school. Original article here: By Dr Terry Bowles, University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Janet Scull, Monash University and Daniela Russo, University of Melbourne. A review by Cristina Pereira. “Personal information” is defined under the Act to mean information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), that is recorded in any form and whether true or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion, but does not include information of a kind to which the Health Records Act 2001(Vic) applies. School can be that brutal, vast, deep ocean. (2018). Norm Related Pro-Social Behavior in Elementary School Youth: The Influence of Academic Self-Efficacy and School Connectedness, School Connectedness for Students with Disabilities, Register for the 2021 International Math Bee. Please refer to our Privacy Policy and Privacy Statement for the University of Melbourne Website for information in relation to the broader practices in relation to the collection, use handling and disclosure of personal information by the University. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives 3.0 Australia (CC BY-ND 3.0 AU), so you can republish our articles for free, online or in print. Let’s say our kids are these fish. As part of this, we are investigating how connectedness links with factors like loneliness and school achievement.What school is best for your child?Read moreSchool connectedness is an important protective factor for many students. Not feeling connected to school can negatively influence students’ attendance. By subscribing, you agree to our privacy statement. For example, being a part of an extra-curricular activity leads many children to volunteer for community organizations and engage in other community endeavours. Clear link between School Connectedness and academic outcomes, health risk behaviour, delinquency and violence and other markers of psychological well -being. Bowles, Scull and Russo provide a 4-factor model that establishes “a student’s current experience of school, (thus leading to a greater) understanding (regarding the) actions teachers need to take to help (students) become more connected.”, The research team recommends that schools promote activities that stimulate routine attendance investing specifically in those students who are repeatedly absent, aiming at preventing feelings of isolation and discontent. Where do you believe your schools’ strengths lie considering the 4-factor model? How do we ensure that our children feel cared for and valued by their educators and by their very classmates? Connectedness to school has important implications for students identified with an emotional disturbance (ED), as they are a high-risk group for dropout. Connections spring instead from individual action on the part of both teachers and administrators as well as from more elusive factors Sorry, something went wrong. Then, they can actively engage in learning and this leads to ‘flow’. We recently published a systematic review of the research on connectedness in the Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, which involved analysing 36 studies on the social, emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects of learning conducted between 1990 and 2016. It is our duty as parents and educators, to make sure all three pillars of this triangle are working in unison so that students will not only succeed academically but also independently in the competitive professional arena. 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