How relationships and belonging relate to students’ engagement, academic experiences, and well-being
Research Brief from The Core Project
A student can attend school every day, complete assignments, participate in activities, and still feel like nobody really knows them. That possibility is worth examining, particularly given how much time young people spend at school. Researchers have studied students’ relationships with teachers, classmates, and their schools for decades. The findings offer a meaningful picture of school connectedness, as well as reasons not to oversimplify what it can accomplish.
What is school connectedness?
School connectedness generally refers to the extent to which students feel cared for, supported, and valued within their school community. Researchers also use terms such as school belonging, attachment, and bonding. These concepts overlap, but they are not identical, and studies do not always measure them in the same way (Libbey, 2004). A widely used description of school belonging emphasizes feeling accepted, respected, included, and supported by others at school (Goodenow, 1993). In simpler terms, it is the sense that you matter to the people around you.
Consider a hypothetical ninth grader, James, who cannot access an assignment because his school login is not working. He tries asking a classmate, but neither knows how to resolve it. He considers approaching a teacher or visiting the library, yet is uncertain where to turn. The assignment is within his ability; the obstacle is finding accessible support. In a different school experience, James might already know an adult he trusts to help him find the right person. This example does not capture every aspect of connectedness, but it illustrates the difference between resources existing and a student feeling able to use them.
What does the evidence say about academic outcomes?
In a meta-analysis of 82 studies involving 208,796 secondary school students, Korpershoek and colleagues (2020) found positive associations between school belonging and motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. The association with achievement was relatively small (r = .18), while associations with several motivational and engagement outcomes were larger (approximately r = .30–.39). Belonging was also associated with lower absenteeism and dropout-related outcomes.
This distinction matters. School belonging appears more closely related to students’ experience of and participation in school than to grades alone. These associations should not be read as proof that increasing belonging will directly raise test scores. Students who are already doing well may also find it easier to feel connected, and other factors may influence both belonging and achievement. The evidence supports taking connectedness seriously without promising a particular academic return (Korpershoek et al., 2020).
What contributes to belonging?
A meta-analysis of 51 studies involving 67,378 students examined correlates of school belonging, including teacher support, peer support, family support, extracurricular participation, and school safety. Teacher support was among the strongest correlates identified (Allen et al., 2018). This suggests that the quality of students’ relationships deserves attention alongside opportunities to participate in school life.
Participation and connection are not interchangeable. A student may be active in several clubs yet feel unseen, while another may have few formal activities but feel known by trusted adults and peers. School climate describes features of the wider environment; belonging describes something students experience within it. Even within the same school, those experiences may differ.
Why do teacher–student relationships matter?
Roorda and colleagues (2011) reviewed 99 studies and found that positive teacher–student relationships were associated with stronger school engagement, while negative relationships were associated with poorer engagement. Associations with academic achievement were generally smaller. Relationships remained relevant beyond the early grades, suggesting that adolescents’ growing independence does not make supportive adults unimportant.
Support need not mean avoiding difficult conversations or reducing expectations. A student may feel more willing to ask questions, accept feedback, or persist through a challenge when they trust that an adult takes them seriously. The research documents associations; it does not imply that teachers should become therapists or personally resolve every difficulty a student faces.
Doesn’t connection happen naturally?
Students spend substantial time together, and friendships often form without formal intervention. But proximity does not guarantee belonging. Peer exclusion, difficult interactions, and uncertainty about where to seek help can coexist with an otherwise positive school environment. Research on belonging considers peer relationships and school safety alongside adult support, rather than treating connectedness as an automatic result of attending school (Allen et al., 2018; Libbey, 2004).
Can schools intentionally improve connectedness?
Evidence from intervention research is more mixed than evidence about associations. A systematic review of 22 controlled trials reported positive effects in 14 studies, including approaches intended to strengthen interactions among students and staff (Allen et al., 2022). A later scoping review examined 24 studies across 12 countries; 11 of 23 interventions with reported results found positive effects on connectedness (Attri et al., 2025). The variation reflects differences in program design, implementation, student populations, and measurement.
The practical implication is not that school efforts are futile, nor that every program works. Schools may be able to improve connectedness deliberately, but an assembly, curriculum, or relationship-building activity should be judged by what students experience afterward, not merely by whether it was delivered. More rigorous evaluation is needed to identify which approaches work best, for whom, and under what conditions.
What should schools take from the research?
Taken together, the research suggests that school connectedness is a meaningful part of students’ educational experience. It is consistently associated with engagement and motivation, and more modestly associated with academic performance. Relationships with adults and peers, as well as the wider school environment, appear relevant. Intentional efforts can help, but their effects are not guaranteed. For school leaders, the question is not only whether a school offers supportive programs, but whether students actually experience the school as a place where they are known and able to seek support.
One last thought
After nearly 30 years of working alongside students and educators, I have come to appreciate how differently people can experience the same school. One student walks into a classroom feeling confident, comfortable, and connected. Another enters that same room unsure whether anyone knows them or particularly cares that they are there. Same teacher. Same classroom. Very different experience.
Research helps us understand why those differences matter. It also reminds us that school connectedness is not something we can simply announce, require, or purchase. A school can provide opportunities for connection, but ultimately, belonging is something students experience for themselves.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that meaningful connection does not require schools to become something they are not. It requires us to pay attention to the relationships and everyday interactions that already shape school life.
Students do not experience school as a mission statement or a strategic plan. They experience it through the people they encounter every day.
About The Core Project
Founded by Greg Sommers, LPC, The Core Project draws on nearly 30 years of experience working with students, educators, and schools. Through experiential curriculum, student experiences, and educator training, The Core Project helps schools strengthen relationships and create opportunities for meaningful connection.
Our approach is grounded in a simple belief: relationships influence how people experience school, and meaningful learning often begins with meaningful experiences.
Learn more at thecorepro.com.
References
Allen, K., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8
Allen, K.-A., Jamshidi, N., Berger, E., Reupert, A., Wurf, G., & May, F. (2022). Impact of school-based interventions for building school belonging in adolescence: A systematic review. Educational Psychology Review, 34, 229–257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09621-w
Attri, S. A., Springer, A. E., & Kelder, S. H. (2025). A scoping review of school connectedness interventions for adolescents. Journal of School Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.70036
Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1<79::AID-PITS2310300113>3.0.CO;2-X
Korpershoek, H., Canrinus, E. T., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & de Boer, H. (2020). The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: A meta-analytic review. Research Papers in Education, 35(6), 641–680. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1615116
Libbey, H. P. (2004). Measuring student relationships to school: Attachment, bonding, connectedness, and engagement. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 274–283. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08284.x
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M. Y., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational Research, 81(4), 493–529. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311421793