New Research Led by Professor Kelly-Ann Allen Reframes How Schools Understand Belonging

A major new article published in Educational Psychology Review presents a careful evaluation of school belonging research and pushes the field toward greater clarity and relevance for educators, researchers, and policy makers. The article, School Belonging: Evidence, Experts, and Everyday Gaps, appears in the August 2025 issue and was authored by Professor Kelly-Ann Allen of Monash University.

In this study, the author conducted semi-structured narrative interviews with ten internationally recognised scholars alongside a synthesis of current literature. This methodological combination allowed the article to surface unresolved tensions in the field, including definitional ambiguity, confusion over terminology, and conflation of belonging with related constructs.

The findings show that existing psychological frameworks often fail to account for cultural and political influences, historically colonised contexts, school structural factors, and the role of social networks in shaping belonging. Experts in the study described school belonging as an ongoing, negotiated process shaped by beliefs about relational value, competencies, social hierarchies, intersecting identities, leadership practices, and the opportunities schools create for meaningful inclusion.

Professor Allen said the article responds to a pressing need in educational research for work that better bridges theory and everyday practice. The article foregrounds voices from multiple national and disciplinary backgrounds and underscores the value of scholarship that speaks directly to those working with young people in classroom and policy settings.

This work contributes to a clearer understanding of what belonging looks like in schools and why it matters for student experience, wellbeing and engagement. Educators and leaders seeking to strengthen learning environments now have a resource that articulates current evidence alongside expert judgments about where the field must go next.

School Belonging: Evidence, Experts, and Everyday Gaps is available online via Springer and is expected to inform scholarship and practice internationally throughout 2026 and beyond https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-025-10055-x

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Kelly-Ann Allen is an Associate Professor of Educational and Developmental Psychology at Monash University and an ARC DECRA Fellow. Her research centres on belonging as a core psychological process shaping learning, wellbeing, and life outcomes across education, work, and community settings.

She leads an internationally recognised program of research, with more than 200 scholarly publications and a strong record of policy and practice influence across Australia and internationally. Kelly-Ann Allen is Editor-in-Chief of The Educational and Developmental Psychologist and regularly advises governments, education systems, and global organisations. Her work is grounded in theory, informed by evidence, and directed toward improving how people experience their place in schools and society.

This release was published on openPR.