Harmony in schools: The role of instrumental ensembles in fostering student belonging

Many factors, such as peer relationships and school climate, influence a student’s sense of school belonging. A strong sense of belonging possesses a multitude of benefits in academic and social domains. This study aimed to investigate the impact of instrumental ensembles on overall school belonging through a quantitative ex post-facto research design. Participants of this quantitative study - high school students from a suburban area with rural roots in the New England region - were divided into two groups: musicians and non-musicians. Each participant submitted responses to the School Belongingness Scale (SBS). This metric measured musicians’ and non-musicians’ levels of belonging within their school. The results of this study found no significant differences in the responses of musicians and non-musicians. However, respondents across both groups reported a high sense of belonging, suggesting that other factors contributed to the SBS. Hence, this study underscores the need for future research to differentiate situational and overall belonging on SBS when assessing the effect of instrumental music ensemble participation, or any small-group extracurricular activity participation.