Background: In disability studies belonging is emerging as a promising area of study. Inclusive research, based as it is on lived experience perspectives, is likely to provide salient insights into belonging in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Method: A systematic review utilising four databases and five leading journals in the…

This integrative review examines arts-informed pedagogy within early childhood education in relation to diversity and inclusion. Research suggests the arts serve as socially just pedagogy, appreciating diversity of student voice and experience whilst facilitating academic ownership and freedom to create inventive ways of knowing and learning. Arts…

Supporting trans and nonbinary students in residence halls is critically important given the harassment, discrimination, and violence trans and nonbinary students face. Further, health outcomes are consistently worse for trans and nonbinary students compared to their cisgender peers. While gender inclusive environments are a first step they do not…

With the increasing demographic diversity and critical focus on social justice in the United States, leaders are under significant pressure to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies into their core operations and organizational culture. Challenged to think more critically about how to better prepare and support…

Children need life-affirming and authentic relationships; genuine deeply felt inclusion comes when we share our humanity openly and honestly. This article draws on the research of author Peter W. Cookson Jr., who recently completed a study of success strategies for educating children living in deep poverty. An inclusive school is one where every…

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) students are underrepresented in CS education and have been found to leave the field at higher rates than their counterparts. While there is a great deal of Computer Science (CS) education research focused on other underrepresented groups, it rarely includes those who are TGNC. Overall, there is a dearth…

In June 2024, the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) hosted a "Think Tank on Meaningful Inclusion for Students with Disabilities and Diverse Needs." The "Think Tank" sought to shift the frame for the conversation, asking what might happen when there is time and space to think beyond binaries and divisive positions. By…

Little systematic attention has been paid toward belonging for young children, particularly in contexts of diversity that are regularly part of school settings. Two-Way immersion (TWI) programs provide one educational context ideally suited for exploring the constructs of belonging and inclusion in linguistically and culturally diverse settings.…

Underrepresentation of females in college science, technology, engineering, and math impacts college graduation rates, pay disparity of females, and the local and global workforce. Research offers one concept, sense of belonging, as vital to motivation of and persistence in major. To address a sense of belonging for this population, some…

A variety of pedagogical practices have been proposed, described, and promoted by scholars in an effort to help enhance the experiences of visually impaired students in integrated physical education. Trained peer tutoring, where a nondisabled student is trained to serve as a peer tutor for a disabled student, is among them. However, little…

In this article, the Education Studies Department (ESD) at Berea College shares lessons learned while becoming an inclusive, justice-focused, and democratic Education Preparation Program (EPP) together with its "Community of Teachers" (CoT). ESD values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI+B) and democratic relationships.…

This article posits that advancing equity is necessary but not sufficient for creating a more just world: we need belonging. Using a lens of racial justice to define the concept of belonging, the author considers how to practice cultivating it within the context of an aquarium's community-based engagement. Through case studies framed by belonging…

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) students are attending colleges and universities that are woefully underprepared for serving the unique needs of TGD students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of TGD post-secondary students in the context of pervasive genderism and cisnormative collegiate…

Background: Many studies have pointed to the importance of trust and inclusiveness in teachers' collaborative groups. Here, we investigate how teachers negotiate dividing lines between "us" and "them" in moment-to-moment interaction. We also examine relationships between these negotiations, local arrangements, and teachers'…

This brief reports findings from a survey with middle and high school youth in a midsize district in the Mid-Atlantic. We find that belonging varies by race and ethnicity for young people. Overall, Black and Latino/x youth report lower belonging when compared to their White peers in a pro-diversity and inclusion district. Implications for policy…