Thomas, Joseph, and Welters, Riccardo (2018) The importance of belonging: the impact of young people’s belonging at school on their quality of life as young adults. In: McGinty, Sue, Wilson, Kimberley, Thomas, Joseph, and Lewthwaite, Brian, (eds.) Gauging the Value of Education for Disenfranchised Youth: flexible learning options. Innovations and Controversies: interrogating educational change (7). Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, pp. 105-129.

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Abstract

This chapter investigates the effects of students’ sense of belonging at school at age 15/16 on their life satisfaction and mental and emotional wellbeing as young adults. The study utilises data from the 2003 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), which, follows more than 3,000 students over a ten-year period. Using a propensity score matching methodology to elucidate causal (rather than correlative) relationships, we find that a weak sense of belonging at school at age 15/16 manifests in statistically significant lower levels of self-reported mental and emotional wellbeing one decade onwards. Our findings suggest that policies that increase young people’s sense of belonging as students entail benefits that extend well beyond their time at school.

Item ID:	51704
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-94-6351-240-4
Date Deposited:	19 Dec 2017 03:53
FoR Codes:	39 EDUCATION > 3903 Education systems > 390399 Education systems not elsewhere classified @ 60% 38 ECONOMICS > 3899 Other economics > 389903 Heterodox economics @ 40%
SEO Codes:	93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9399 Other Education and Training > 939903 Equity and Access to Education @ 60% 93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9305 Education and Training Systems > 930501 Education and Training Systems Policies and Development @ 40%
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