Measuring School Belongingness: the Importance of Identity Validation

Stickl Haugen, J., Frawley, C., & Bledsoe, K. G. (2025). The development of the Student Belonging Scale: A measure of school belonging. Professional School Counseling, 29(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X251340045

Introduction
Students’ sense of belonging is closely tied to academic success, mental health, and social development. However, existing tools rarely capture how students’ cultural identities shape their experiences of belonging. Stickl Haugen and colleagues (2025) address this gap with the Student Belonging Scale (SBS), a new measure designed for middle and high school students. The SBS is unique in its attention to cultural responsiveness, offering a multidimensional look at school belonging that includes identity validation—an essential yet often overlooked factor in student wellness.

Methods
The SBS was developed through a rigorous process involving literature review, expert consultation, and pilot testing. An initial pool of 40 items was refined by a diverse panel of 13 experts. The final 22-item scale was administered to 202 middle and high school students at a public school in the Western U.S. The research team conducted Exploratory Factor Analysis, accounting for data non-normality, to uncover the underlying structure of student belonging.

Results
The analysis yielded four reliable subscales: Connection with Adults, Connection with Peers, Identity Acceptance by Others, and Academic Behaviors. These explained 68% of the total variance and showed strong reliability (α = .83–.91). The SBS correlated strongly with existing measures of belonging and inversely with loneliness, indicating strong validity. Notably, the Identity Acceptance subscale supported the importance of cultural respect and affirmation in fostering belonging.

Discussion
The SBS provides a nuanced, practical framework for understanding belonging in schools. By centering both interpersonal relationships and identity validation, the tool reflects current thinking in adolescent development and equity-focused education. The inclusion of cultural identity as a standalone factor marks a critical step forward, highlighting the need for environments where students feel seen, safe, and supported across multiple dimensions of self.

Implications for Mentoring Programs
Mentoring programs can use the SBS to identify areas where students need support and to measure the impact of interventions. The Identity Acceptance subscale, in particular, can guide mentors in creating affirming, culturally responsive relationships. The SBS enables mentors to go beyond academic help, fostering authentic connection, pride in identity, and lasting school engagement.

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