School Belonging: The Importance of Congruence with Classmates’ Characteristics and Students’ Individual Ethnic and Socioeconomic Background

Abstract

In the social environment of the classroom, classmates’ characteristics can impact students’ school belonging. This study examined the effects of congruence with classmates’ minority/majority membership, origin country, immigrant generational status, and socioeconomic (SES) on students’ belonging to peers and school. In addition, the moderating effects of students’ own ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds were investigated. Children from different ethnic backgrounds (N = 204) at primary schools in the Netherlands participated in this study. School belonging was measured with the school- and peer subscales of a Dutch version of the PSSM. Regression analyses showed that minority/majority, countryof- origin, immigrant, and SES congruence are all important factors in determining students’ school belonging. However, the effects of these factors vary depending on the student's own ethnic and SES background. The presence of same-ethnic peers promoted school belonging for students with a migration background, whereas it reduced feelings of belonging for ethnic Dutch students. In addition, both immigrant and SES congruence negatively affected students’ sense of belonging when students’ individual SES was taken into account. Therefore, it is crucial to consider individual student characteristics when examining their sense of belonging. The present study emphasizes the importance of recognizing the diversity within the minority and majority groups and creating diverse school contexts. These findings provide valuable directions for future research and practical implications aimed at fostering students’ sense of belonging at school.