A systematic quantitative literature review of pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging during school-based experience

School-based experience—which features in many initial teacher education programs around the globe—is one of the most influential factors concerning pre-service teachers’ professional development and learning. Furthermore, pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging, which is context specific and embedded in the social, cultural and professional conditions of the school-based experience, is a key aspect of this placement. Failure to resolve belonging tensions can have
damaging consequences on pre-service teachers’ development. In this review we set out to map the terrain by exploring the literature at the interface of pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging and their school-based experience. Specifically, our aim was to explore what contemporary research reveals about pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging during their school-based experience. We employed Systematic Quantitative Literature Review methodology to reveal 16 studies connected to the topic but just one study that focused specifically on pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging during school-based experience. The review revealed the literature about pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging during their school-based experience can be categorised under two broad concepts: the quality of the relationship that a pre-service teacher has with their supervising teacher; and, belonging to a teacher community. The key theme of belonging to a teacher community is intertwined with the features of quality relationships between the pre-service teacher and the supervising teacher. We conclude with some suggestions for future research and recommendations for initial teacher education.