Abstract
ABSTRACT
Purpose. This study centered the voices of young adults reflecting on their experiencesof belonging during high school while navigating the intersecting identities of race and
disability. Although school belonging is widely recognized as critical to student success,
the voices of students who experience marginalization across multiple identities are often
absent. This study explored how recent high school graduates who identify as coming
from a historically marginalized race and as having an invisible disability described their
experiences of belonging and connection in high school.
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework. This study was informed by disability critical
race theory (DisCrit) and Kuttner’s (2023) framework of school belonging. DisCrit
provided a lens to examine how racism and ableism intersect within schooling
experiences, and Kuttner’s conceptualization of belonging framed belonging as
relational, systemic, and shaped by power and context within educational environments.
Methodology. Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, this study draws on
semistructured interviews with five young adults (ages 18–21) who completed 4 years of
high school. Data were analyzed through phenomenological reduction and thematic
analysis to identify shared meanings across participants’ narratives.
Findings and Conclusions. Three themes emerged: relational belonging, structural
belonging, and temporal belonging. Participants described belonging as shaped by
relationships with peers and adults, influenced by school systems and supports, and
evolving over time as they navigated their identities and school environments. These
findings highlight how belonging is both constructed and disrupted within educational
contexts.
Recommendations. This study recommends that educational leaders intentionally center
student voice when designing policies and practices to support belonging. Schools should
examine relational and structural conditions and create spaces where students with
intersecting marginalized identities are recognized, valued, and supported. Future
research should continue to elevate historically underrepresented student perspectives in
belonging research.