Purpose This paper aims to explore strategies used by teachers within and beyond the classroom to foster a sense of belonging at international boarding secondary schools. Drawing on the belonging hypothesis and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory, this study considers the implications of low or high usage of evidence-based strategies on students’ membership within diverse learning communities. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-method, sequential exploratory approach. Convenience sampling resulted in 53 teacher participants from 11 international boarding schools. Findings While teachers used a wide range of strategies to nurture students’ sense of belonging to the school community, there were limited links to children’s family and home community contexts. This gap may hinder students’ ability to navigate and develop their identities independently of institutional norms. Although schools excel in fostering community-building practices, they are less effective in providing professional development for educators on belonging and lack a unified vision for its implementation. Hence, individual teacher’s efforts to foster belonging maybe fragmented or underutilised. Research limitations/implications While teacher perspectives provide valuable insights into students’ experiences, they represent an indirect meaning-making of students’ belonging, their interaction with peers and their involvement in the school community. It is acknowledged that teachers’ observations can be influenced by factors such as academic performance, behaviour or personal bias. Therefore, findings based on these perspectives should be interpreted with caution. Originality/value This research offers insights into the experiences of teachers working in international boarding schools regarding practices and pedagogies that can promote student belonging and the development of strong, stable interpersonal relationships with school staff and their peers. It provides contribution to deeper understanding of belonging, which can affect identity negotiation in a diverse schooling context. The study highlights the need for professional development opportunities that promote cohesive institution-wide approaches to student belonging, including increased collaboration with families and home communities to support the development of students’ multifaceted identities school belonging.
Skye Thao Nguyen (Mon,) studied this question.