Researching a whole school approach to school connectedness

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a participatory action research project that investigated how a resource called the Index for Inclusion was used by a secondary school community to improve school connectedness at a whole school level. The researchers worked with the Australian case study school over one year to engage in review, development, and change. This paper reports on the procedure of working with the School Connectedness Committee through the five phases of the participatory action research. Data are organised under the theme of ‘building community’ with the sub-themes of ‘positive relationships with staff’ and ‘student leadership’. The findings from this case study indicate that the implementation of the five phases of the Index for Inclusion can support a whole school approach to build a sense of community that supports young people to be more connected to their school.