Sense of belonging at school in Australia: The relevance of student, school, family, and community factors, prepared for the NSW Department of Education

Drawing on longitudinal data from two cohorts in LSAC, this study has investigated the effects of a broad range of factors on shaping students’ sense of belonging at school. We identified largely consistent results when applying cross-sectional regression models and three types of panel regression models (random effects, fixed effects, and growth-curve models). Overall, the findings revealed that students’ school belonging is affected by the combination of a range of family, school, community, and individual factors.