Conway, Jennifer;
(2025)
Exploring and Promoting School Belonging Through Youth
Participatory Action Research: Children as Co-Researchers and
Agents of Change in Primary School Settings.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
Conway_10211989_thesis.pdf Download (2MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The construct of belonging refers to humanity’s fundamental need to connect to others, places, and experiences. Research indicates that feeling a strong sense of school belonging correlates with academic success, attendance and a range of outcomes throughout life. Due to its perceived benefits, researchers, school staff and Educational Psychologists are keen to identify ways in which pupils’ feelings of belonging can be improved in schools. To support this, this study aims to explore school belonging in two primary school settings using a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) approach. The project adopts a multi-level case study design. In stage one, children in Year 5 participate as pupil researchers. They conduct their own research around factors which impact school belonging using YPAR and create a plan for change based on this. Their findings indicate that a range of factors impact children’s feelings of belonging in school. Stage two evaluates both the YPAR approach and its findings to determine the opportunities and challenges of carrying out research in this way. The findings suggest that YPAR provides valuable insights into the factors which influence school belonging for pupils, can support schools to create change and leads to benefits for the pupil researchers. However, it further suggests that the successfulness of the approach is influenced by logistical challenges, difficulties with engagement and issues related to power. This study contributes to the field of Educational Psychology by demonstrating the transformative potential of YPAR in understanding and addressing the needs of primary school students. It provides a framework for educators, Educational Psychologists and policymakers to create more supportive and inclusive school communities, ultimately enhancing students' academic and social outcomes, through the promotion of school belonging and through engaging youth voices.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring and Promoting School Belonging Through Youth Participatory Action Research: Children as Co-Researchers and Agents of Change in Primary School Settings |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211989 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
