Belonging-oriented classroom practices in K-12 schools: insights from interviews and classroom observations

Students' sense of belonging has been widely recognized as a critical factor influencing academic engagement, psychological well-being, and participation in school environments. However, existing research often examines classroom relationships, culturally responsive pedagogy, and participation structures separately, providing limited insight into how everyday classroom practices interact to support belonging. Guided by Self-Determination Theory and the literature on school belonging and psychological safety, this qualitative study explores how teachers construct classroom environments that may support belonging through daily pedagogical practices in K-12 settings. Data were collected through ten classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with ten educators working across preschool, primary, and middle school contexts. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with iterative coding and thematic development. The findings revealed five interconnected dimensions of belonging-oriented classroom practices: inclusive and student-centered learning environments, community building and belonging, cultural representation and responsiveness, student voice, participation, and agency, and collaborative learning and social connectedness. These practices appear to support students' experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness while fostering psychological safety and meaningful participation, suggesting that belonging may emerge through the interaction of instructional accessibility, relational care, cultural recognition, participatory structures, and collaborative learning. By providing a practice-oriented perspective on how belonging may be enacted in everyday classroom life, this study contributes to research on inclusive education. It offers insights into how educators can design learning environments that may strengthen students' participation, engagement, and sense of belonging.