Abstract
Background: Existing research indicates that students’ perceptions of their classroom environment and their academic self-concept significantly influence their sense of school belonging. However, the precise interplay and predictive roles of these factors warrant further investigation. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the extent to which students’ perceptions of their classroom environment and their academic self-concept predict their overall sense of school belonging.
Methods: A descriptive-correlational research design was utilized for this study. The sample comprised 361 female high school students, aged 13 to 15, residing in Tehran (2024). These participants were selected from a larger population using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected using three instruments: the School Belonging Questionnaire, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure, and the Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 27, employing Pearson’s correlation coefficient and stepwise regression to examine the relationships between variables.
Results: The findings demonstrated a statistically significant positive correlation between students’ perceptions of their classroom environment and their sense of school belonging (P<0.001). Similarly, a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between academic self-concept and school belonging (P<0.001). Collectively, perceptions of the classroom environment and academic self-concept accounted for 27% of the variance in students’ school belonging. Notably, academic self-concept exhibited a comparatively stronger predictive capacity in this relationship.
Conclusion: This study confirms that both perceived classroom environment and academic self-concept are significantly associated with students’ sense of school belonging. Furthermore, academic self-concept demonstrates a more robust predictive influence than classroom environment perceptions. These findings suggest that interventions designed to improve students’ academic self-perception could be particularly effective in fostering a stronger sense of belonging within the school environment.