A New Measure of Belonging: Rallying Insights From the Field

• In Event: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: Motivational Processes and Effects

Abstract

Scholarship has consistently demonstrated that belonging is a pivotal determinant of positive development, engagement, and achievement (Author, 2005, 2018; Benner, Graham, & Mistry, 2008; Goodenow, 1993; Osterman, 2000). Traditionally anchored in social/participatory experiences (Finn, 1989; Goodenow, 1993; Osterman, 2000), the complex intersectionalities that characterize American life advocate for culture, identity, and voice as important to belonging (Berry, Phinney, Sam, & Vedder, 2006; Author, 2009, 2011, 2018; Urdan, 2011). Blending these traditional and contemporary insights led to the design of six-factor Belonging 6 Survey, addressing: Teacher Support, Peer Support, General Belonging, Culture, Identity, and Voice. In the EFA/CFA reported here, goodness-of-fit indices suggest the model fits the data well and factor loadings revealed indicators were strongly related to the purported factors.

Authors

• Beverly S. Faircloth, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Jennifer Haddad Lingle, University of North Carolina - Greensboro