Place and Belonging: How Rural Primary School Principals can Promote Boarders’ Development by Building their Sense of Belonging to School?

Abstract

Rural boarding schools in compulsory education in China have proliferated with school merger program. This paper analyzes the relationship between school belonging and student development and the factors that influence students' sense of belonging in rural boarding schools. The paper examines how principals in rural boarding schools in China can promote student development by building a sense of belonging. The paper argues that building this sense of belonging can serve as a solution to the current problems affecting rural boarding schools, improve the quality of rural primary education, and promote student development.