The conceptualization of school and teacher connectedness in adolescent research: A scoping review of literature

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review was to map and summarize research relating to school and teacher connectedness, in order to increase current understanding of the ways these terms have been conceptualized in adolescent research. Specifically, this scoping review focuses on the analysis of the actual definitions used and the ways in which school connectedness and teacher connectedness are operationalized in existing measures. Using the terms connectedness, teacher and school as keywords, we searched SCOPUS, Web of Science, ERIC, the Cochrane Library and the EPPI Centre Database of Education Research for relevant peer-review articles published in English from 1990 to 2016. 350 papers were selected for the review. Many studies failed to provide a definition of school or teacher connectedness and there were some differences in the way these constructs were operationalized in the main measures. Future research should be thorough in the definition of these constructs, and ensure consistency between the definition used and the operationalization of the connectedness construct in the selected measure. Unpacking the global concept of school connectedness and examining the role of its different components (global feelings towards school, teacher connectedness, relationships with classmates, etc.) separately may also contribute to building a more coherent body of evidence in this area. Reflecting on the place of school and teacher connectedness in the broader context of the literature on school climate and bridging distances between the research on school connectedness and that on related constructs is another necessary step to move this field forward.