"We're Learning the Wrong Lessons": Studying the Impacts of Student Experiences With Isolation in School

• In Event: Academic and Personal Well-Being: Insights From Studies of School Community, Climate, and Culture

Abstract

This paper highlights research into student perceptions of belonging and identity in a school in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Through a storytelling project, students explored their experiences of education and their relationships within their school community. Qualitative research methods were then used to engage with how the project affected students’ experiences and understandings of belonging, citizenship and community. Findings from the research revealed that students’ experiences with school structure, hierarchy, and assessment perpetuated feelings of isolation, structural disenfranchisement, and powerlessness. However, in cases where students were able to activate their sense of agency within school spaces, they experienced increased self-confidence, and saw themselves as contributors to positive aspects of school culture.

Author

• Auralia Brooke, University of New Brunswick