<![CDATA[This literature review synthesizes the relationship between school climate and students’ sense of belonging, encompassing definitions, dimensions, psychosocial mechanisms, mediators–moderators, and practical implications for Indonesian schools. Based on a review of English- and Indonesian-language articles from the past ±30 years, we found a consensus that school climate dimensions safety and order, the quality of teacher student and peer relationships, learning-oriented teaching practices (formative feedback, autonomy), and collaborative leadership are positively correlated with belonging. The most consistent pathways involve social support and perceived fairness/voice, which foster students’ affective attachment to school; in turn, this enhances academic engagement, achievement, and attendance while reducing risky behaviors (e.g., bullying and absenteeism). Common instruments such as the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM; Goodenow) and various school climate surveys (Thapa; Wang & Degol) demonstrate strong reliability, though cross-cultural and grade-level validation in Indonesia remains limited. Practical implications recommend restorative anti-bullying programs, strengthening social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies, implementing autonomy-supportive pedagogy, and promoting student voice mechanisms aligned with the Kurikulum Merdeka and P5 initiatives. We propose a local research agenda emphasizing longitudinal or quasi-experimental studies, measurement invariance testing, and multilevel analyses.]]>
