A Pedagogy of belonging
Mitchell Beck and James Malley
The psychological sense that one belongs in a classroom and school community is considered a necessary antecedent to the successful learning experience. In an era when traditional sources of belonging have diminished due to changing family and community demographics, the school plays an increasingly important role in meeting this need. There is evidence that conventional classroom practices fail to engender a sense of belonging, especially among at-risk students. Indeed, conventional practices may exacerbate feelings of rejection and alienation and place these students at higher risk for dropping out, joining gangs, or using drugs. Schools can increase the sense of belonging for all students by emphasizing the importance of the teacher-student relationship and by actively involving all students in the life of the classroom and the school community. Specific examples of programs that promote a sense of belonging for students are discussed.
The most precise definition of an at-risk child involves a preschool history of neglect, rejection, and abuse. The school often becomes the last bastion of hope where children can experience positive human relationships in order to gain a sense of acceptance and belonging. Unfortunately, engendering a sense of belonging is not typically a high priority in most schools. Reflecting the downsizing, "do-more-with-less" mentality of corporate life, modern-day educators tend to emphasize a pedagogy that stresses economy, efficiency, and technology over human relationships. Competition, grades, and scores on mastery tests have become the sine qua non of the U.S. education process, a process that is largely inimical to promoting a sense of belonging among students.
Berman (1997) conducted an extensive review of the research on cooperative learning. He found that a cooperative learning community "creates the bond among people that moves democratic decision making from negotiations around competing self-interests to a consideration of the common good" (p. 136) Other important findings in his research included:
1. Members of a cooperative community care about each other and feel committed to the welfare of others.
2. Members of cooperative learning communities show significant development in prosocial behavior and social competence.
3. Students in cooperative learning environments were more effective in social problem solving and in resolving conflicts.
4. Students in these cooperative learning communities had an increased commitment to democratic values.
Conclusion
We have called for a new pedagogical model that promotes a sense of community and belonging by strengthening teacher — student relationships and integrating cooperative learning strategies into the curriculum. Considerable evidence exists that many of our traditional educational practices have actually contributed to the problems experienced by young people in the modern-day United States. The impersonality of large bureaucratic schools; the emphasis on compliance, control, and orderliness; and the preoccupation with grades, competition, and individual success have created a social milieu that contributes to a sense of alienation, apathy, and isolation. Bright, mature students with positive self-esteem and support from intact families may tend to succeed in such environments. However, rejected and neglected children with damaged spirits and a diminished sense of self are at high risk for failure, dropping out of school, joining gangs, and/or becoming substance abusers. As we prepare to cross the threshold into a new millennium, education must focus on teaching all people how to live in an inclusive community where each person is treated with respect and dignity and enlisted to participate fully in the life of the community. A belonging pedagogy emphasizes the democratic ideal in which caring, cooperating, and serving form the cornerstones of the learning process.
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http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0303-belonging.html
The psychological sense that one belongs in a classroom and school community is considered a necessary antecedent to the successful learning experience. In an era when traditional sources of belonging have diminished due to changing family and community demographics, the school plays an increasingly important role in meeting this need. There is evidence that conventional classroom practices fail to engender a sense of belonging, especially among at-risk students. Indeed, conventional practices may exacerbate feelings of rejection and alienation and place these students at higher risk for dropping out, joining gangs, or using drugs. Schools can increase the sense of belonging for all students by emphasizing the importance of the teacher-student relationship and by actively involving all students in the life of the classroom and the school community. Specific examples of programs that promote a sense of belonging for students are discussed.
The most precise definition of an at-risk child involves a preschool history of neglect, rejection, and abuse. The school often becomes the last bastion of hope where children can experience positive human relationships in order to gain a sense of acceptance and belonging. Unfortunately, engendering a sense of belonging is not typically a high priority in most schools. Reflecting the downsizing, "do-more-with-less" mentality of corporate life, modern-day educators tend to emphasize a pedagogy that stresses economy, efficiency, and technology over human relationships. Competition, grades, and scores on mastery tests have become the sine qua non of the U.S. education process, a process that is largely inimical to promoting a sense of belonging among students.
Berman (1997) conducted an extensive review of the research on cooperative learning. He found that a cooperative learning community "creates the bond among people that moves democratic decision making from negotiations around competing self-interests to a consideration of the common good" (p. 136) Other important findings in his research included:
1. Members of a cooperative community care about each other and feel committed to the welfare of others.
2. Members of cooperative learning communities show significant development in prosocial behavior and social competence.
3. Students in cooperative learning environments were more effective in social problem solving and in resolving conflicts.
4. Students in these cooperative learning communities had an increased commitment to democratic values.
Conclusion
We have called for a new pedagogical model that promotes a sense of community and belonging by strengthening teacher — student relationships and integrating cooperative learning strategies into the curriculum. Considerable evidence exists that many of our traditional educational practices have actually contributed to the problems experienced by young people in the modern-day United States. The impersonality of large bureaucratic schools; the emphasis on compliance, control, and orderliness; and the preoccupation with grades, competition, and individual success have created a social milieu that contributes to a sense of alienation, apathy, and isolation. Bright, mature students with positive self-esteem and support from intact families may tend to succeed in such environments. However, rejected and neglected children with damaged spirits and a diminished sense of self are at high risk for failure, dropping out of school, joining gangs, and/or becoming substance abusers. As we prepare to cross the threshold into a new millennium, education must focus on teaching all people how to live in an inclusive community where each person is treated with respect and dignity and enlisted to participate fully in the life of the community. A belonging pedagogy emphasizes the democratic ideal in which caring, cooperating, and serving form the cornerstones of the learning process.
Read the complete article
http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0303-belonging.html