Mapping Belonging and Moving from the Monolithic to the Malleable: Implications for Student Engagement

• In Event: Fostering Engagement for All: Advancing Socioculturally Inclusive Theory, Research, and Practice in Student Engagement

Abstract

This presentation considers whether school belonging research should move beyond static, monolithic models toward more malleable approaches that better reflect the fluid nature of belonging, and how these hold implications for student engagement trajectories. We critique the field’s reliance on fixed theoretical frameworks, which often fail to capture the dynamic qualities of belonging as it evolves across time, contexts, and developmental stages. Drawing on the Integrative Framework of Belonging (Allen, Kern et al., 2021)—which maps opportunities, motivations, perceptions, and competencies within sociocultural contexts—we conceptualize belonging as a shifting, multifaceted construct. We question whether current measures, typically one-time snapshots of whether students “belong,” align with longitudinal evidence showing that belonging fluctuates. Importantly, we examine the relevance of school belonging to student engagement. What is the impact of focusing on school belonging for student engagement in real time? We propose a dynamic, personalized socioecological map as one way to capture the belonging experience in real-time. Central to our argument is the call to foreground individual experience over aggregated data. We conclude by outlining a future research agenda centered on interactive tools and methods that evolve with individuals, better accommodating the complexity of belonging and its relation to student engagement as a dynamic construct.

The presentation will highlight the following provocative/novel insights:
• What happens when we transform the Integrative Framework of Belonging from a static conceptual map into a living, responsive model that considers individual experiences in real-time? Belonging research often relies on fixed theories that overlook the fluidity of human experience. Our dynamic, personalized socioecological maps challenge researchers to reconceptualize belonging as a shifting construct shaped by multiple factors that influence engagement trajectories over time. We ask: How might interventions evolve if we could track real-time changes in students’ opportunities, motivation, and engagement? What new supports emerge when students can actively shape their belonging ecology and see instant feedback that reinforces engagement?
• How do we design educational systems that respond to belonging as a moving target rather than a fixed destination? Belonging is often measured as a static, one-time outcome, assuming it can be achieved through standardized interventions. Yet longitudinal evidence shows belonging shifts across contexts and time. This prompts us to ask: What if schools supported multiple, evolving belonging pathways? How might teacher preparation change if educators were trained to recognize and respond to dynamic belonging patterns and tailor strategies to sustain student engagement in diverse and changing settings?
• What happens if we abandon the search for universal belonging predictors in favor of understanding individual belonging signatures? If we blend a true appreciation of intersectionality with an appreciation of socioecological and sociocultural contexts, this provokes critical questions like: How might belonging research and theory progress if we remember the individual is at the center of the experience rather than groups (i.e., rather than focusing on aggregated data)? Could personalized belonging profiles reveal more responsive intervention approaches that deepen individual engagement?

Authors

• Kelly-Ann Allen, Monash University

• Christopher Boyle, University of Adelaide