Predicting School Belonging Based on Family Cohesion and Social Anxiety
Keywords:
School belonging, family cohesion, social anxiety , high school studentsAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the predictive role of family cohesion and social anxiety in students' sense of belonging to school among female high school students in Tehran.
Methods and Materials: The study employed a quantitative descriptive-correlational design with structural equation modeling. The sample consisted of 384 female high school students selected through cluster sampling. Data were collected using the School Belonging Scale, Family Cohesion Scale, and Social Anxiety Scale, all validated for the Iranian population. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS22, utilizing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses.
Findings: Descriptive statistics indicated moderately high levels of school belonging (M = 72.63, SD = 8.31) and high family cohesion (M = 47.96, SD = 9.78), with moderate social anxiety levels (M = 19.39, SD = 6.48). Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between family cohesion and school belonging (r = 0.64, p = 0.001) and a negative relationship between social anxiety and school belonging (r = -0.58, p = 0.003). Regression analysis showed that 56% of the variance in school belonging was explained by family cohesion and social anxiety (R² = 0.56, F(2, 380) = 261.93, p = 0.000).
Conclusion: The findings highlight the significant influence of family cohesion in enhancing school belonging and the detrimental effect of social anxiety on students’ connection to their school environment, emphasizing the need for interventions that promote family support and address social anxiety among students.
Keywords: , family cohesion, social anxiety, high school students.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Maryam Kazemi (Author); Emad Yousefi (Corresponding Author); Leila Khajepour (Author)
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