Learning About Learning:
Belonging From The Very Beginning
Associate Professor Kelly-Ann Allen shares insights from a recent study on the importance of 'belonging' and its implications for teachers and students.
As an Associate Professor at Monash University, Allen has spent her career exploring one
deceptively simple idea — that belonging is at the heart of human flourishing.
“I have spent a lot of time researching belonging and looking at how we can turn belonging science into practical strategies for real-world change,” she says. “In doing that, I get to work with some really cool people and organisations from NASA to M&Ms. This initially blew my mind, but when you think about it, belonging is common to everybody.”
Although Professor Allen has researched belonging “across the lifespan,” she had long wanted to focus on the early years. “I used to work in early intervention, preschool, and kinder settings, as well as schools when I was a school psychologist,” she explains. “I saw firsthand how formative those early days were as children transitioned into school.”
Those first experiences, she says, can shape attitudes and outcomes for years to
come. “Through my research, I have seen the immense benefits of belonging in
school settings later on, even in the adult years, and I wanted to make sure we
actually heard from students themselves about how they best feel they belong.”
One of the most surprising findings? “There is often an assumption that very young kids, like three- or four-year-olds, cannot articulate something as complex as what helps them feel like they belong. But we found that they absolutely can.”
Drawing belonging: hearing students’ voices
Traditional surveys have their limits, especially for five- and six-year-olds. So Allen and her
team turned to a more creative method — drawing.
“In belonging research, it is crucial that we offer inclusive ways for participants to share their perspectives, so they genuinely have a voice and agency,” she says. “After all, we would not be practising what we preach about belonging, if we only used methods that a handful of students were comfortable with.”
By combining drawing with interviews, the researchers gave children “a medium they felt
comfortable with, and maybe even enjoyed,” opening a window into how belonging feels from their perspective. “We could understand their experiences in a way that felt natural to them.”
According to Allen, teachers can begin fostering a sense of belonging even before students walk into the classroom. “It is about setting them up for a successful transition,” she explains. “How can schools help kids get familiar with their environment and the people they will be working with, so that on Day One they already have a sense of familiarity?”
Beyond transitions, Allen stresses the importance of peer relationships and teacher
connections. “Something like the ‘You Can’t Say You Can’t Play’ rule by Vivian Paley has been found to be a practical strategy,” she notes. But more importantly, “we hope the research encourages teachers to ask their students directly what helps them feel like they belong. Even very young children can give insightful ideas.”
One size doesn’t fit all
When it comes to children who are quieter or less socially inclined, Allen advises flexibility. “It is about recognising that one size does not fit all. Strategies and approaches need to be flexible and plentiful,” she says.
“What works for one student may not work for another. My advice would be to ensure there are multiple opportunities for belonging, that students themselves develop a realistic mindset about belonging, and that they are given opportunities to learn the skills and competencies that help them belong.”
Allen believes the concept of belonging applies just as strongly to teachers as it does to
students.
“I think belonging is often underappreciated in teacher training,” she explains. “One gap
is that teachers themselves need to feel a sense of belonging to their workplace, to their
professional networks, and within their own training cohorts.”
“When we think about professional development, it is not just about teaching future educators how to foster belonging for students,” she adds. “It is also about creating that sense of community and belonging for the teachers themselves. That can help address issues like burnout and retention because it supports their well-being, too.”
Belonging takes time
For teachers welcoming new students, Allen’s advice is simple but profound. “Do not assume that belonging will happen overnight or come naturally on its own,” she says. “Belonging is a transition, and it needs time to grow.”
She encourages teachers to “create a comfortable environment that is familiar, predictable, and offers opportunities for enjoyment, whether through solitary or group play. That sets the right conditions to help that sense of belonging.”
For Allen, belonging doesn’t require elaborate programs or new initiatives. “There are plenty of teachers out there who are already doing more than enough just by being themselves,” she says. “When it comes to fostering belonging, it does not have to be time-consuming or costly. It can happen pretty organically as long as we keep that awareness that it matters and give it the priority it deserves.”