Purpose Although there is considerable empirical support associating school belonging with positive youth outcomes (Osterman, 2000), little empirical research has been conducted on belonging in after-school contexts. The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of "belonging" as an antecedent variable or intermediate outcome with practical utility for after-school evaluation research. The development of age- and context-appropriate measures was also a goal of the study

Methods A mixed methods approach was deemed the best fit for this exploratory study as a pragmatic way to optimize the research design in a setting with a number of environmental constraints and challenges (Maxwell & Loomis, 2003). Employing Creswell's (2003) typology of mixed methods research, the design strategy was sequential; data from the quantitative phase were analyzed to help guide the development of the qualitative phase. Focus groups were utilized to illuminate findings from the quantitative phase, and to further explore issues related to the adaptation of the survey instruments from school to after-school contexts. The study was non-experimental and cross-sectional. Study participants (N = 52) were ethnically diverse low-income third- through fifth-grade children from 3 elementary schools with a high percentage of Latino students.

Results Results from the quantitative phase of the study showed positive and statistically significant associations between belonging measures and children's attitudes toward learning and school. Belonging and engagement were also positively associated, though not significantly. After-school staff perceived girls to be significantly more engaged than boys. Engagement was predicted by gender, attendance, and belonging. Focus groups with 34 children provided a deeper understanding of belonging in the context of peers and staff. With regard to program engagement, focus group findings diverged from quantitative findings, revealing gendered differences in engagement-related behaviors that may have influenced staff perceptions. Study results also raised questions regarding the use of after-school attendance as a proxy for engagement.

Implications School social workers are strategically positioned to play a greater role in improving after-school program quality due to the enormous recent growth of school-based programs. Partnering with after-school practitioners to develop and implement strategies that can better meet belonging and other basic psychological needs would benefit all children who participate, and may be especially critical for more vulnerable children already alienated from the traditional school environment. This is particularly salient at a time when school administrators, under pressure from requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, increasingly view after-school programs as an opportunity to extend the traditional school day in hopes of raising standardized test scores.

References

Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Maxwell, J.A. & Loomis, D.M. (2003). Mixed methods design: An alternative approach. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.)., Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 241-272). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Osterman, K. F. (2000). Students= need for belonging in the school community. Review of Educational Research 70(3), 323-367.