Sense of School Belonging and Paediatric Illness: A Scoping Review.

Lucrezia Tomberli,Enrica Ciucci

doi:10.5334/cie.32

Abstract

The experience of hospitalization leads children to move away from their everyday life, such as school attendance. Participating in school activities and relating with classmates are important experiences in children's development and promote a general sense of school belonging. A scoping review was conducted on the sense of school belonging (SoSB) of school-age children with medical conditions. The review concerned four specific research questions: (a) How is SoSB studied and indexed? (b) Has research on this topic changed over time? (c) What methods and techniques are used to study this topic? and (d) What role does SoSB play in the life of pupils with medical conditions? Four databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Education Source. The abstract and full-paper screening process identified 10 articles. A qualitative line of argument metasynthesis highlighted numerous interesting aspects: SoSB is a psychological need for pupils with a medical condition and information and communication technologies (ICT) offer an opportunity to promote SoSB and make pupils feel greater levels of well-being, less pain, and fewer negative emotions. Promoting SoSB is important for fostering a better quality of life for children with illness, helping them feel more normal and part of the class, despite not being present; hospital and regular schools should engage in creating connection opportunities for pupils with medical condition and their classes.

Highlights

The research literature has shown an interest in the school experience of children with chronic illness
This review focused on the relationship between pupils with medical condition and their classmates, their sense of school belonging (SoSB)
QUESTION 1: IS THE LITERATURE ON SOSB WELL INDEXED AND DIFFERENTIATED FROM THE GENERAL SOCIAL SUPPORT LITERATURE? The keywords used in the selected articles make it clear that at present the literature on the subject is still similar to that on general social support, even though SoSB is a well-defined

Summary

Introduction

The research literature has shown an interest in the school experience of children with chronic illness. Pupils with chronic health issues are less involved in social relationships (Ishibashi, 2001; Leger & Campbell, 2008; Yilmaz et al, 2014) and display emotional and relational difficulties when returning to school (Harris, 2009; Katz et al, 1989, 2011; Larcombe et al, 1990; Prevatt et al, 2000; Sexson & Madan-Swain, 1993; Steinke et al, 2016; Tougas et al, 2019) For these reasons, it is essential to promote social support during hospitalization or home care, especially from family members (Trask et al, 2003; Woodgate, 1999), peers (Ingersgaard et al, 2021; Soejima et al, 2015), and teachers (Äärelä et al, 2018; Ingersgaard et al, 2021; Lindsey, 1981; McCarthy et al, 2017). Participation in school life impacts the emotional and relational well-being of children and adolescents; that is, students who feel a sense of school belonging experience a general greater well-being (Arslan, 2018; Tian et al, 2016)

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Discussion

Conclusion