Research Summary: Cultivating a Sense of Belonging Among Early Career Middle Grades Teachers

BACKGROUND

Early career middle grades teachers–defined as middle grades teachers who possess three or fewer years of professional teaching experience–are likely to encounter a series of transitions at the outset of their career. As early career middle grades teachers navigate these transitions into the profession and into their new schools, they are required to satisfy various professional expectations. While familiarizing themselves with their new schools’ norms and policies, early career middle grades teachers are expected to identify their students’ learning needs and preferences, to address students’ off-task behaviors, and to engage all students in their instruction (Clandinin et al., 2015). When early career middle grades teachers are not given access to adequate professional support, they are likely to experience feelings of helplessness and uncertainty (Miles & Knipe, 2018).

As they transition into the profession, early career middle grades teachers are also likely to experience a sense of reality shock or disillusionment, recognizing that their current circumstances may not align with their previously established expectations for themselves and for their students (Santoro, 2021; Voss & Kunter, 2018). Early career middle grades teachers’ negative experiences throughout this initial phase of their career often contribute to a sense of overwhelm and feelings of isolation, causing some early career middle grades teachers to exit the profession prematurely (Dias-Lacy & Guirguis, 2017; Garcia & Weiss, 2019).

While all teachers are vulnerable to feelings of isolation throughout their career, certain demographics of teachers, including teachers of color and male teachers, are placed at an increased risk for feelings of isolation (Bristol, 2020; Mawhinney et al., 2021). Early career middle grades teachers are particularly vulnerable to feelings of isolation (Farrell, 2016; Schuck et al., 2018). As new employees, early career middle grades teachers are unlikely to have developed healthy relationships with their colleagues which may prevent early career middle grades teachers from reaching out for help when needed (Kidd et al., 2015; Kutsyuruba & Walker, 2015).

Developmentally relevant instructional support is of critical importance for early career middle grades teachers. Currently, fewer than twenty-five percent of middle grades teachers graduate from middle grades-specific teacher preparation programs (Howell et al., 2018). As a result, early career middle grades teachers may feel underprepared to meet the diverse academic, social, and emotional needs of their young adolescent students. These feelings of under-preparedness among early career middle grades teachers may lead to increased feelings of isolation (Martin et al., 2016), threatening early career middle grades teachers’ sense of well-being and sense of self-efficacy (Kelly et al., 2019; Reitman & Karge, 2018).

A growing body of education research suggests that by promoting early career middle grades teachers’ sense of belonging, school leaders may support early career middle grades teachers’ emotional and professional development, potentially sustaining them beyond their initial years in the profession (Bjorklund, 2023; Zepeda et al., 2024). By cultivating a sense of belonging among early career middle grades teachers, school leaders will demonstrate responsiveness to early career teachers’ “varying identities…and levels of readiness” (Bishop & Harrison, 2021, p. 49). Moreover, by uniting their staff around a shared vision for their school community, school leaders may promote a sense of belonging among both early career middle grades teachers and experienced teachers alike (Bishop & Harrison, 2021).

A SENSE OF BELONGING

Over several decades, belonging has been considered to be a fundamental human need and a primary driver of human behavior (Allen et al., 2022; Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Waller, 2021). In his hierarchy of needs, Maslow (1943) states that an individual’s need to belong is an essential component to human existence–a need even more necessary than knowledge or understanding. Seminal research considers belonging to be primarily perception-based; the degree to which one feels a sense of belonging depends heavily on whether they perceive themselves to belong (Hagerty et al., 1992). As a result, belonging can be defined as an individual’s perceived involvement in a group or system (Allen et al., 2018). Recent studies argue that belonging is not a fixed or achievable phenomenon; instead, belonging is fluid in nature. An individual’s experiences with belonging are likely to shift over time, requiring constant navigation (Gravett & Ajjawi, 2022; Guyotte et al., 2019).

BELONGING AND TEACHER TURNOVER

Reports on K-12 teacher turnover indicate that within their first two years of teaching, nearly a quarter of early career teachers exit the profession (Miller et al., 2020), and by year five, approximately forty-four percent of all K-12 early career teachers leave the profession altogether (Ingersoll et al., 2018). Early career middle grades teachers could be even more vulnerable to high rates of turnover. Studies find that the retention rates of middle grades teachers are significantly lower than the retention rates of elementary teachers (Tran et al., 2023) and that early career middle grades teachers are more likely to leave teaching during the school year than their early career elementary teacher counterparts (Redding & Henry, 2018). Some scholars attribute these alarming rates of turnover to early career middle grades teachers’ under-preparedness to teach at the middle grades level (Goldhaber & Cowan, 2014) and to the feelings of isolation that early career middle grades teachers often encounter as they transition into the profession (Giles & Yazan, 2022).

This urgent issue of early career teacher turnover has prompted a few scholars to examine the role that belonging plays in early career teacher retention. In their study of early career teacher attrition in Canada, Clandinin et al. (2015) interviewed forty early career K-12 teachers and identified a relationship between early career teachers’ sense of belonging and their intentions to remain in the profession. This sense of belonging, according to Clandinin et al., emerged from collegial relationships with colleagues and played a determining role in early career teachers’ decisions to stay or to leave the profession. In their research on the professional support needs of early career teachers, Zepeda et al., (2024) found that belonging and affiliation positively influence early career teacher retention, describing professional engagement, relational connectedness with colleagues, and appreciation and value as defining characteristics of early career teachers’ sense of belonging. Zepeda et al. encourage school leaders to foster cultures of belonging, especially among early career teachers, as a means of supporting early career teacher retention.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF BELONGING

Studies have identified several positive effects of belonging among K-12 teachers. When teachers feel a sense of belonging in their schools, they are more likely to experience deep engagement in their work (Pesonen et al., 2021; Waller, 2021). Along with this deep engagement, teachers who feel a sense of belonging may be more motivated toward professional and social development, enriching their professional growth and contributing to collaborative school cultures (Dewhurst et al., 2020; Fox et al., 2011; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2023). Research also indicates that teachers who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to demonstrate a positive sense of self-efficacy (Allen, 2020) and a strong commitment to the profession (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2021).

Several studies find that teachers’ sense of belonging often emerges from nurturing interpersonal relationships with colleagues. From these supportive interpersonal relationships, teachers’ sense of belonging may serve as a barrier against emotional exhaustion, promoting a positive sense of well-being among teachers (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011, 2021). A strong sense of belonging also contributes to confidence-building and professional growth, empowering early career middle grades teachers to exercise their autonomy and to take ownership of their professional learning (Clandinin et al., 2015; Syndor, 2017). Other related studies find that a strong sense of belonging may bolster teachers’ resilience and enable teachers to navigate more effectively various work-related conflicts (Gerlock & Gockel, 2018; Martinez et al., 2016).

Furthermore, when teachers feel like they belong, their students may be more likely to experience a sense of belonging as well. In their research on sense of belonging among K-12 students, Allen et al., (2021) found that teachers’ sense of belonging could influence their students’ sense of belonging, suggesting potential implications for students’ social, emotional, and academic development.

CULTIVATING BELONGING AMONG EARLY CAREER TEACHERS

The research on sense of belonging among teachers presents several considerations for school leaders as they seek to support the early career middle grades teachers in their schools. First, school leaders can make belonging an explicit priority in teacher induction. Because early career middle grades teachers will likely hold various perspectives on belonging, school leaders may engage in authentic conversations with early career middle grades teachers to determine the ways in which early career middle grades teachers perceive and define their sense of belonging. Through these conversations, school leaders may identify the supports required to satisfy their early career middle grades teachers’ specific belonging needs. Moreover, because early career teachers’ experiences with belonging are likely to fluctuate throughout the school year, school leaders may consider facilitating these authentic conversations about belonging on an ongoing basis to understand early career middle grades teachers’ evolving perceptions of what belonging means and looks like. Through these ongoing conversations, school leaders may address more effectively early career middle grades teachers’ evolving belonging needs.

In addition, school leaders can promote a sense of belonging among early career middle grades teachers by presenting early career middle grades teachers with opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their school communities. In his examination of nine early career teachers’ experiences with belonging as they transitioned into the profession, Bjorklund (2023) found that the early career teachers felt validated and accepted when they felt that they contributed to their teaching teams or their school community in a meaningful way. Bjorklund states that opportunities to make meaningful contributions “increase teachers’ feelings of investment in the school, which can also foster feelings of belonging” (p. 7).

By taking intentional steps to know early career teachers beyond their identity as new teachers, school leaders may identify early career middle grades teachers’ strengths and create opportunities for early career middle grades teachers to act on their strengths. Linking early career teachers’ sense of belonging to teacher attrition, Clandinin et al. (2015) state that “sustaining people who are beginning to teach begins with knowing them beyond their ‘novice-ness’ in one particular aspect of their life. Sustaining beginning teachers requires that we know them as people” (p. 13). When early career middle grades teachers feel that they are making valuable contributions to their schools, they are more likely to experience feelings of efficacy and competence, further supporting their sense of belonging in their schools (Zepeda et al., 2024).

School leaders can also create communities of support that intentionally address both the professional and the emotional needs of early career middle grades teachers (Sowell, 2017). In their examination of the experiences of teacher induction among five early career middle grades teachers, Martin et al., (2016) found that strong mentoring relationships, built on trust and care, enable early career middle grades teachers to receive constructive feedback and to make changes to their practice. While formal mentoring programs generally support early career teachers’ development of instructional and professional skills, these programs often fail to meet the emotional needs of early career teachers as they navigate this particularly formative phase of the profession (Squires, 2019). Integrating peer mentoring, in which early career middle grades teachers are paired with an experienced teacher for support and guidance, may offer early career middle grades teachers with more relevant and accessible professional and emotional support (Thomas-Reynolds, 2022). Furthermore, pairing early career middle grades teachers with a peer mentor within the school can provide early career middle grades teachers an entry point of access to develop relationships with others in their school community (Zepeda et al., 2022).

Outside of formal mentoring practices, school leaders may encourage informal opportunities for relationship-building among early career middle grades teachers by involving early career middle grades teachers in school activities or initiatives that allow the early career middle grades teachers to feel connected to their school community (Bjorklund, 2023). Surrounding early career middle grades teachers with communities of professional and emotional support promotes the development of interpersonal relationships (Thomas-Reynolds, 2022) and lowers their risk of emotional exhaustion (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011), bolstering resilience while promoting a sense of belonging among early career middle grades teachers (Clandinin et al., 2015).

SUSTAINING SCHOOL CULTURES OF BELONGING

Belonging emerges from school cultures that are psychologically safe (Edmondson, 1999; Gerlach & Gockel, 2018). When early career middle grades teachers feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to ask questions, raise concerns, admit mistakes, and take responsible risks in their practice (Edmondson & Brandsby, 2023). In psychologically safe school cultures, early career teachers are empowered to take ownership of their professional development, boosting their confidence and sense of autonomy (Syndor, 2017).

Critical to establishing a sense of belonging, the personal values and goals that early career middle grades teachers hold must align with the values and goals promoted by their schools. (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011; Yang et al., 2022). United by a shared vision for teaching and learning, an alignment of values and goals creates a sense of connectedness and purpose among school personnel, supporting early career middle grades teachers’ sense of belonging.

Furthermore, school leaders can support early career middle grades teachers’ sense of belonging by maintaining healthy school cultures that are grounded in mutual trust and respect (Acree et al., 2020). When early career middle grades teachers feel valued and respected, they are more likely to demonstrate deep engagement in their work, thereby supporting their sense of belonging (Zepeda et al., 2024). By regularly acknowledging the contributions of teachers, school leaders can develop cultures of appreciation (Huppert, 2017; Strayhorn, 2018). New to the profession, early career middle grades teachers experience several milestones in their initial months of teaching. Publicly acknowledging the milestones that early career middle grades teachers experience could affirm and bring visibility to early career teachers, supporting their sense of belonging and their engagement in their school community (Bjorklund, 2023; Clandinin et al., 2015).

CONCLUSION

Often described as a “survival period” in the teaching profession (Syndor, 2017), early career middle grades teachers are likely to experience several challenges as they navigate their initial months of teaching. During this formative phase of the career, a sense of belonging may serve as a buffer against early career middle grades teachers’ feelings of isolation, developing confidence and bolstering resilience. By supporting early career middle grades teachers’ sense of belonging, school leaders may offer early career middle grades teachers new opportunities for professional growth and thriving, potentially sustaining them beyond their initial years in the profession.

Kathryn G. Polley is a Doctoral Candidate and Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Georgia.

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ANNOTATED REFERENCES

In this study, Bjorklund (2023) interviewed nine first-year teachers (including two first-year middle grades teachers) about their experiences with belonging as they transition into the profession. Through multiple case study analysis, Bjorklund identified several common belonging needs among the participating first-year teachers, including first-year teachers’ needs for value consonance, meaningful contribution and recognition, supportive peer relationships, and community participation outside of the classroom. Bjorklund also found that the first-year teachers in his study appeared to be ambivalent about their sense of belonging, noting that many of the participating first-year teachers considered themselves to be socially “on the periphery” during their first year. As one of the first studies that inquires exclusively into sense of belonging among early career teachers, Bjorklund’s research lends insight into the organizational and interpersonal supports necessary to support early career teachers’ emotional, professional, and identity development. Furthermore, the implications generated from Bjorklund’s research add to the research on best practices in inclusive school leadership.

In their study, Martin et al. (2016) followed early career middle grades teachers to learn about their experiences with mentorship in teacher induction. Martin et al. noted that many early career middle grades teachers do not attend specialized teacher preparation programs that provide training on the unique needs of young adolescents. As a result, early career middle grades teachers often feel under prepared in their initial teaching assignments. Through the experiences of five early career middle grades teachers, Martin et al., identified several key induction supports that promote the effective induction support. In their discussion, Martin et al. emphasized the importance of the mentoring relationships in teacher induction, arguing for mentoring relationships characterized by trust and care and maintained through consistent interaction and feedback as a best practice in induction mentorship. Martin et al.,’s study highlights the significance of mentoring relationships in supporting a sense of efficacy among early career middle grades teachers, suggesting potential insights regarding the ways in which mentoring relationships foster a sense of belonging among early career teachers in the middle grades.

In this study, Clandinin et al. (2015) examined the issue of attrition among K-12 early career teachers in Canada. Acknowledging that early career teacher attrition is influenced by both individual and contextual factors, Clandinin et al. interviewed forty second- and third-year teachers across a variety of grade levels and school settings to learn about their future intentions to remain teaching or to exit the profession. Across these interviews, Clandinin et al. identified a sense of belonging as a primary determining factor in early career teachers’ decisions to stay or to leave. Other determining factors included adequate support, workload sustainability, tensions around contracts, and a work-life balance, among other factors. As one of the few studies that links early career teachers’ sense of belonging to early career teacher attrition, Clandinin et al. presented new understandings regarding the extent to which positive relationships with co-workers influence early career teachers’ sense of belonging, their identity development, and ultimately, their decisions to remain or to leave the profession.