Belonging Starts Here: Helping Students Feel at Home

Doctoral ceremony at the University of Stavanger, 29 October 2025

Source: Karl Erik Vasslag

As a researcher who studies belonging, I was delighted to meet Charlotte Helen Haaland Hancock in Norway recently and serve as an examiner for her Ph.D. defence. Her doctoral research tracks how newly arrived immigrant students in Norwegian upper secondary schools experience belonging, engagement, and inclusion, and how teachers can support them. This work sits in a context of growing cultural diversity in schools, with about 1 in 5 Norwegian students now from immigrant backgrounds, and asks how teacher practices help young people feel seen, safe, and ready to learn. I had an opportunity to ask her some questions during our time together.

Why is it important to look at belonging through the lens of specific populations, such as newly arrived immigrant students, rather than assuming one approach works for all learners?

Having competence about specific populations helps teachers meet all students’ educational and social needs. Such competence can have a preventive role, e.g., by promoting belonging and engagement to increase students’ feelings of inclusion in school. Research shows that to move to a new country is challenging because you need to learn and adapt in many ways. In addition, students are diverse in cultures, religions, and languages, as well as in interests, experiences, and opinions. Therefore, it is important for teachers to respond to diversity and to foster a safe and motivating learning environment for all students.

You focused on upper secondary classrooms where teachers and peers shape daily life. What did students tell you belonging looks and feels like in real terms, and what got in the way?

In my study, the students emphasized the importance of teachers for experiencing belonging in class. They valued when teachers showed an interest and supported them: “When I meet the teachers in the morning, they are important for how the day will turn out… to help and motivate me.” Furthermore, this included when teachers provided academic support. Another significant finding was the making of new friends through social activities, such as football training or music clubs. These activities helped increase feelings of belonging.

On the negative side, students reported several cases of bad language, jokes, and slurs. These situations made the students feel more uncomfortable and unsafe in class. Teachers and students self-justified negative incidents as a part of student-student relationships. By accepting bad language and slurs, negative attitudes toward ethnicity, gender, or sexuality continue to exist.

Charlotte and her son William Oliver (9 months old).

Source: Charlotte Helen Haaland Hancock, used with permission

Teachers in your studies adapted tasks, rotated groups and created early social activities. Which of these actions made the biggest difference and how can schools scale them without adding to teacher load?

Promoting belonging and engagement was a time-consuming task. In the beginning of the school semester, several social activities were organised such as day trips. Teachers wanted students to socialise with their new classmates, which is a normal activity at the beginning of the school semester in Norway. Moreover, teachers also needed to adapt tasks in subjects. For example, some students had an oral presentation instead of a written assignment. They adapted tasks accordingly to students educational and language level. We need to remember that newly arrived immigrant students have a double workload: They are both learning a new language and subjects.

Having strategies for collaboration in student groups was essential. Organising student groups was not particularly time-consuming. The teachers had a system of rotating group members. Such groups were described as an effective strategy to enhance belonging and collaboration among students.

Students mentioned football training and music clubs as ways to connect beyond the classroom. How much do community activities matter and how can schools partner with them to build belonging?

Students emphasised finding new friends was important for their sense of belonging. The results indicated that there was a potential for schools to organise after-school activities to connect students and local communities. Such activities could provide students with shared goals outside the classroom. More investigation is necessary to ascertain how schools and communities can work together to promote belonging through community activities.

Source: Charlotte Helen Haaland Hancock, used with permission

Humour, slang and cliques can blur the line between banter and exclusion. What practical steps should teachers and students take when language crosses the line, and how can schools make it easier to report concerns?

Teachers reported that students often used humour, slang or slurs. Nevertheless, teachers described that they were uncertain if the use of humour, slang or slurs could be interpreted as discriminating or hurtful. In such cases, teachers always have a responsibility to further investigate the situation. Early involvement could help stop discrimination and victimization. Moreover, for students to report hurtful events, it is essential to have a close teacher-student dialogue. In addition, formal systems such as online reporting to teachers could also be an alternative method of reporting negative incidents.

If a school has limited resources, where should leaders start tomorrow to build belonging and inclusion in culturally diverse classrooms?

Schools need to continuously work with teachers’ attitudes and strategies to promote diversity, belonging and inclusion. Interest in these topics could help develop teacher practices to support students learning, prosocial behaviour and well-being. School development is an ongoing process which should be developed by collaboration among school leaders, teachers and students. As an example, a common agreement about norms and rules for behaviour and language could be established.

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School leaders should cultivate attitudes and develop inclusive strategies that enhances belonging in culturally diverse classroom. To make this possible, collaboration and support among teachers is necessary. School leaders have a key role to provide e.g., competence on belonging, inclusion and diversity in schools.

Charlotte Helen Hancock Hancock is a Ph.D. in educational sciences and currently working at the University of Stavanger.