A Sense of Belonging in Regional Queensland Special Schools From the Perspective of School Leaders, Teachers, and Teacher Aides

Abstract Sense of belonging is a complex construct that we all strive for in our daily lives. Sense of school belonging influences educational outcomes and is vital for cognitive, behavioural, and socio-emotional success at school. Sense of belonging for students with disability in special schools has rarely been examined and is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the role special school leaders, teachers, and teacher aides play in building a sense of belonging for themselves and their students. Two hundred and sixty-two participants from 10 state special schools within a regional area of Queensland, Australia, completed a survey to determine their perceptions of how special school staff promoted school belonging as well as their knowledge of policy documents. Responses consistently indicated a positive sense of school belonging across all schools. Findings highlight what school leaders, teachers, and teacher aides do in their everyday practices to promote a strong sense of belonging at their special schools, including building positive trusting relationships with all stakeholders, learning environments that valued diversity and difference, inclusive practices that met the social and academic needs of students, and schools’ organisational practices.