Education Commons^™

In Search Of Belonging In A Grade 6-8 Public School In Western Canada, Jasbir Singh

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Systemic racism and oppressive practices within and outside British Columbia institutions are negatively impacting students’ sense of belonging in schools. The Metro School District (MSD, a pseudonym) and BC Ministry of Education (BCMoE) have responded with the district equity plan and the K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan, respectively, to address this issue. However, a gap remains between their goals and the current reality of creating inclusive school environments. Valley Middle School (VMS, a pseudonym) has seen instances of racism and exclusion affecting students and teachers from minoritized backgrounds, including myself as a Sikh, South Asian principal. My Dissertation-in-Practice (DiP) focuses on …

Do I Belong?, Audrey Gilden

All Dissertations

To measure students' Social-Emotional-Learning (SEL), Lowcountry School District (LSD) administers Panorama Education surveys to students, teachers, and staff twice a year. The mission of the surveys is to support educators in radically improving student outcomes with data. Students are given two surveys: 1) Student SEL Competency & Well-Being and 2) Student Supports & Environment. The first survey focuses on supportive relationships and self-management, while the second focuses on teacher-student relationships, sense of belonging, and school climate. Looking specifically at the Student Supports & Environment survey, two areas of concern are school climate and sense of belonging. School climate measures the …

Navigating The Black Student First-Year Experience: Exploring Ways Peer Mentoring Can Enhance Engagement And Belonging At A Pwi, Richard V. Frazier Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies indicate that minoritized students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) may struggle with engagement and establishing a sense of belonging. Peer mentoring may play a role in enhancing these opportunities to foster academic performance and retention. The sense of belonging and engagement for minoritized students at a PWI is essential to their academic sustainability. This qualitative narrative analysis study uses Strayhorn’s (2012) theory of college students’ sense of belonging as the theoretical framework to explore the peer mentoring experiences of 10 Black first-year students participating in a stand-alone model. Interviews were used to acquire insight into peer mentoring’s influence on …

A Critical Discourse On Asian American Stereotypes And Pedagogical Strategies Against Anti-Asian Racism, Ryan Shin, Maria Lim, Oksun Lee, Ahran Koo, Kevin Hsieh, Min Gu, Jaehan Bae

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

In this article, we address the three derogatory stereotypes and tropes of anti-Asian racism: model minority, perpetual foreigner, and yellow peril. We problematize how each of the three stereotypes was formed and has been sustained, affecting our art classroom and professional practices. After that, we offer the novel and futuristic conception of Asian American inclusivity as a critical project in our society. Lastly, in challenging the three Asian stereotypes and embracing Asian American inclusivity, we offer S-R-C teaching strategies (Sense of Belonging, Resist, and Coalition Building) to confront anti-Asian racism and violence. The strategies are designed to help art educators …

Hire Education: Work Integrated Learning And Sense Of Belonging For International Students, Alexandre (Sash) Querbach

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

International students in Canadian institutions of higher education face multiple barriers to experiencing a full sense of belonging. While these barriers impact their ability to engage fully with their academic programs, they also affect opportunities for post-graduation employment. Work integrated learning has many pre- and post-graduation benefits for students, including increased opportunities for employment. In this dissertation-in-practice, the problem of practice presented explores sense of belonging through the role work integrated learning plays in international students securing post-graduation employment. It proposes an alternate program stream for international students that provides access to work integrated learning opportunities. This stream embeds targeted …

Students’ Experience Of Sense Of Belonging In A Diversity Class: A Model And Practice Recommendations, Laura R. Chapman

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Sense of belonging has been associated with increases in perceived task importance, along with motivation and academic achievement. These factors indicate that sense of belonging may be an important and relevant concept to consider when preparing clinicians to practice cultural humility, which entails a commitment to lifelong learning. This study utilized qualitative data to examine 20 undergraduate students’ experience of belonging in an undergraduate cultural and linguistic diversity course. Additionally, pedagogical practices and student identity-related factors that promote belonging were explored. Results revealed four interrelated themes that characterized how students experienced belonging in the course. Salient components of belonging as …

Finding Authenticity And Belonging In Teaching: Critical Reflection Of Personal Experience To Facilitate Transformation, Laura R. Chapman

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The purpose of this reflection is to tell the story of the author’s career transition towards the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and engagement in issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in education. Using the methodology of critical reflection (Brookfield, 2017), couched within an examination of disorienting dilemmas as described in transformative learning theories (Mezirow, 2000), I will explore how the lens of personal experience can be a valuable as educators strive to find authentic ways to grapple with the critical issues we face in education in general, and the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) …

Black Students Matter: A Phenomenological Approach To Exploring Sense Of Belonging Among Black Students Attending A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Alison K. Chandler

Dissertations

As the number of Black college students who have enrolled in federally designated Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) has risen, it has become necessary to examine how their sense of belonging has been fostered, particularly given the educational disparities and equity gaps in retention, persistence, and graduation rates. Furthermore, the focus on initiatives geared towards Latinx students may contribute to feelings of inadequacy among Black students, which is compounded by racialized experiences that have occurred in educational settings both prior to and during college. This phenomenological study explored the experiences of nine Black undergraduate students at a private four-year HSI in the …

The Fourth Wall Of Dialogue: A Co-Constructive Collaboration On Bipoc Student Sense Of Belonging In Higher Education, Valarie Lindsey

Dissertations

Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students’ sense of belonging (SOB) at higher education institutions has decreased over the last 30 years despite numerous initiatives aimed at increasing a sense of belonging for this group of students and addressing the challenges they face from various intersectionalities including cultural biases, gender marginalization, and racial subjectivities. Sense of belonging is often subjective in nature because it refers to an individual's lived experience, it is important for higher education institutions to tailor their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive (DEI) initiatives to meet the needs of the students on their campus. This initiative should include …

Undergraduate Student Sense Of Belonging And Edtech Tool Engagement: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Virtual Campus Experience, Veronica Wilson

Dissertations

The contemporary postsecondary learning experience is heavily mediated by educational technology (EdTech) tools and yet little is known about the ways in which these tools impact student engagement and sense of belonging, two indicators which are important to student persistence and graduation. Using Strayhorn’s (2023) critical socioecological sense of belonging framework, this convergent mixed methods study offers insights into these relationships by examining student engagement with EdTech and student sense of belonging and the impact of student traits on the relationship between EdTech and sense of belonging. This study was conducted at a private, broad access Hispanic-Serving Institution in the …

From Doom To Bloom: The Effects Of Pre-Major Coaching On Undecided Student Persistence, Lisa Dianne Wycoff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student retention is a persistent dilemma in higher education because it is how student success is measured. Universities invest resources in retaining vulnerable populations and provide additional support measures because they are most at risk of dropping out. The premise of this study is that students who enter college without a major are considered vulnerable, as they are highly prone to drop out. Numerous studies have found that entering college with an “unknown/undecided” status negatively impacts retention, well-being, and motivation due to a lack of clearly defined educational goals. However, students and families often lack adequate information about the importance …

Bridging Usd Graduate Student Life And Mcnair Scholars Program: How To Enhance Mcnair Scholars’ Transition To Graduate School, Emily S. Esquivel

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Research has shown a need to support graduate students with intersecting identities (e.g., first generation, underrepresented). Further, there is little research on the transition of McNair students to graduate school. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to learn about how McNair students at the University of San Diego (USD) can navigate graduate school preparation with the support of Graduate Student Life (GSL). The research questions that guided this project were: (1) How can I collaborate with GSL to enhance support for USD McNair Scholars as they transition to graduate school? and (2) How can GSL support McNair Scholars’ sense …

Advancement Via Individual Determination’S (Avid) Impact On Enrollment And Retention For First-Generation Black And Hispanic Females In College, Andrea Pritchett

Ed.D. Dissertations

On December 10, 2015, former President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Success Act (ESSA), which reauthorized the 50-year-old ESEA commitment to equal opportunity for all students (U. S. Department of Education, n.d.). One of the provisions included all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers. As female college students continued to surpass their male peers in college enrollment and retention, a gap in the literature was found in how AVID and a sense of belonging contributed to their success rate. Through an interpretive, qualitative study, I examined …

Enhancing The First-Year Experience Program For Community College Students: Creating A Cohort Model To Encourage Success, Engagement, And Sense Of Belonging, Vicky Herbel, Christina Cox, Amy M. Koehler, Kim Mercurio, Barbara Stratman

Dissertations

Community Colleges are facing significant challenges to enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending enrollment cliff which will require higher education administration to adapt, get creative, and lead change in recruiting and retention strategies. Using the Sense of Community Theory (Serason, 1974) and the Involvement Theory (Astin, 1984), this study aims to evaluate student success, engagement, and sense of belonging. Through a qualitative comparative case study, students in a Men of Color (MOC) cohort, a pre nursing (NUR) cohort, and a baseline group of students in the standard college success seminar course enrollment were evaluated using in vivo, …

Latinx Science Students’ Sense Of Belonging In Rural Wisconsin, Patrick Robinson, Cynthia Baeza, Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe, Abigail Robinson, Diego Román, Katherine Ward

The Journal of Extension

This study explores the sense of belonging of rural middle and high school Latinx science students in Wisconsin. Between 2000 and 2015, the Latinx population was the fastest growing ethnic group in Wisconsin and increased by 95%. Yet, little is known about the experiences of these students in rural schools or their engagement in science learning. Our research contributes to addressing this knowledge gap and provides insights into Latinx student experiences relative to the science classroom and community. Our findings indicate that a primary determinant of Latinx science students’ positive sense of belonging is a positive relationship with their teachers.

Helping First Year Residential Students Transition To The Collegiate Environment, Jenna N. Mazurek

Culminating Experience Projects

The purpose of this project is to address the barriers faced by first-year residential students while making their transition from high school to college. Transitioning to a new environment can be overwhelming, so making sure first-year students feel prepared is an important part of the acclimation process. To make the acclimation period easier, first-year students should make sure they are aware of campus resources, and make sure they have a strong support network. The intervention for this problem is a first-year experience program set at Grand Valley State University called the Becoming a Laker Program. This program is designed to …

Round Ii: Exploring The Experiences Of Black, First-Generation Graduate And Professional Students At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Derrick D. Lathan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores the experiences of Black, first-generation (first-gen) students pursuing advanced degrees at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), following the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice movements like Black Lives Matter. Additionally, this study examines the present-day motivations to pursue advanced degrees, particularly the benefits of doing so at an HBCU. The main research question guiding this study is: What are the experiences of Black, first-gen graduate and professional students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)? The sub-questions are:

1. How do Black, first-gen graduate and professional students describe being a first-gen student?
2. What barriers and supports impact …

Persistence Of First-Generation College Students During Campus Closure, Ruby Lin

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, which caused the largest education disruption in world history. Prior to the pandemic, first-generation college students were considered an underrepresented and vulnerable population at four-year institutions (Engle & Tinto, 2008; House et al., 2020). This study sought to capture the lived experiences of seven first- generation colleges students at a four-year, private institution in Southern California who had to unexpectedly leave their university community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants recount their experiences of having to leave their university campus suddenly without direct access to resources provided …

A Dakota Cultural Intervention’S Influence On Native Students’ Sense Of Belonging: A Cbpr Case Study, Heather J. Peters, Teresa R. Peterson, The Dakota Wicoḣaƞ Community

Psychology Publications

This community-based participatory research case study demonstrates how Dakota Wicoḣaƞ utilized Indigenous and feminist epistemologies to create, implement, and evaluate a cultural intervention, the Mni Sota Makoce: Dakota Homelands Curriculum, to increase Native 6th- and 10th-grade social studies students’ peoplehood sense of belonging (Tachine et al., 2017). Findings demonstrate Native students liked the curriculum and reported an increase in support and a decrease in invalidation of their sense of belonging. While the curriculum provided a source of racial-ethnic socialization, some European American students criticized the curriculum, which likely negatively impacted 6th-grade students psychological sense of school membership (Goodenow, 1993). Results …

The Black College Student Experience At Four-Year Predominantly White Institutions And Community Colleges: Non-Academic Factors For Consideration In Creating Sense Of Belonging, Alison Handy

Educational Studies Dissertations

While Black students have gained increased access to college, the data reflect that there are fewer Black students completing or earning bachelor’s degrees. Existing research reflects findings on various factors, both academic and non-academic, that influence student retention and success in higher education. Historically, theories on student retention and success have emphasized the importance of a student’s academic ability and commitment to obtaining a degree. Scholars such as Vincent Tinto have developed theories on student departure and attrition that emphasize the impact of non-academic factors on academic and social integration and the student experience regarding student sense of belonging at …

An Exploratory Study Of Mindsets, Sense Of Belonging, And Help-Seeking In The Writing Center, Traci Freeman, Steve Getty

Writing Center Journal

In this exploratory study, we took as our point of departure Lori Salem’s (2016) call to investigate the factors that affect students’ decisions to visit the writing center. Rather than exploring student decision-making through a sociological lens, as Salem does, we drew on insights from social psychology to understand students’ motivations. We explored two self-theories drawn from social psychology that are associated with students’ academic achievement and with students’ help-seeking: (1) implicit beliefs about intelligence or “mindsets”; and (2) sense of belonging. Using questions from previously validated scales, we measured first-year students’ mindsets and sense of belonging and tested the …

Transitional Course For Incoming Transfer Students At Cal Poly Humboldt, Marissa Carla Holguin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Universities and institutions have started to create student programming to ensure their students have the support that they need to be successful at their institutions. Many of these programs center and focus on the first-year student experience, which are those who are entering the institution right after graduating High School. These students are the traditional student population that studies and universities tend to focus on, however, other populations get overlooked. One “non-traditional” population that has increased in universities over the years is the transfer student population.

[aa1] Transfer students are students who, after high school graduation, have attended another institution, …

On Confidence And Sense Of Belonging In Cybersecurity Students: Analysis & Prediction, Sadaf Amna Sarwari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion of cybersecurity programs across higher education institutions in response to the widening skills gap in the cybersecurity job market. This study adopts quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify factors influencing West Virginia University (WVU)’s LANE Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (LCSEE) students’ confidence and sense of belonging in the cybersecurity field. The results are based on data collected from surveys administered to LCSEE students in April 2022 and April 2023. The responses were analyzed using descriptive & inferential statistics and logistic regression techniques. Additionally, the 2023 data was utilized …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Disabled Students’ Experiences With Online Course Accessibility During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jason Altmann

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT

A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF DISABLED STUDENTS’

EXPERIENCES WITH ONLINE COURSE ACCESSIBILITY

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Jason Altmann, Ed.D.

Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Northern Illinois University, 2024

Xiaodan Hu, Director

This dissertation presents a qualitative case study exploring the experiences of disabled students with online course accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigates how the abrupt shift to online learning impacted the accessibility of educational materials and support services for disabled students in a large, suburban community college.

Critical Disability Theory (CDT) framework was utilized to guide interview questions and explore the connection between the initial …

The High Maintenance Black Girl: Black Female College Students’ Experiences With Intraracial Stereotypes, Alexis Thrower

CGU Theses & Dissertations

While existing literature has extensively documented interracial stereotypes faced by Black individuals, this study delved into the lesser-explored realm of stereotypes emanating from within the Black community itself. This dissertation explored the experiences of Black female college students in predominantly white educational environments, focusing on the pervasive influence of intraracial stereotypes. Grounded in phenomenological inquiry and guided by Black Feminist Critique, the research investigated the impact of these intraracial stereotypes on relationships, sense of belonging, and coping strategies among Black female college students. Four research questions guided this dissertation: What are the intraracial stereotypes experienced by Black female college students? …

What’S The Right Move? The Relation Between Relocating And Psychosocial Outcomes Among Latinx College Students, Lisa A. Lozano, Bianca T. Villalobos, Veronica Castro, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study investigated the role of relocating on the mental health, psychosocial stress, and social support of 159 first- and second-year Latinx college students. Findings revealed students who relocated for college had significantly higher self-reported sense of campus belonging, and social support compared to students who did not relocate. Implications for college readiness organizations and universities with commuter populations are discussed. Future directions to enhance the understanding of Latinx students’ transitionary experiences are also reviewed.

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El estudio investigó la importancia de la reubicación en la salud mental, el estrés psicosocial y el apoyo social de 159 estudiantes universitarios Latinxs …

Peer Mentoring Program For Psychology Major Students: A Promising Prospect, Nadia Calderon

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Many first-year and second-year undergraduate students face challenges and abundance of college resources they may not know how to use. Learning about campus resources and dealing with these challenges could help students thrive academically and personally in the college environment. We gathered survey data from 87 students from seven sections of the Bridgewater State University Orientation to the Psychology Major (OPM) course. In one of these sections, we implemented a Peer Mentoring Program (PMP). We also hosted psychology-focused events in which 48 psychology major students attended and filled out feedback questionnaires. In this study we aimed to analyze the effectiveness …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Meaning Of First-Generation Students And Adjunct Faculty Relationships In Higher Education, Melissa Greenlee-Rasnake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the first-generation student describes the meaning of developing a relationship with adjunct instructors at a community college and how this relationship influences their academic development and institutional sense of belonging. For the purpose of this study, the first-generation student and adjunct faculty relationship was defined as the formal and informal contact between the student and the faculty member. The theory guiding this study was that of proximal process and campus ecology developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) as it explores the importance of how the student’s environment and relationships influence their …

The Impact Of Extracurricular Activities On The African American First-Generation College Students At A Community College In The South: A Case Study, Barbara A. Beeks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the persistence and retention of African American first-generation college students who participate in extracurricular activities at a two-year community college in the South. The theory guiding this study was Astin's student involvement theory, as it is a student development theory based on their involvement in college activities and addresses the motivation and behavior of students. According to this theory, the more students are involved in college, whether academically or in extracurricular activities, the tremendous success they will have in their learning and personal development. The research questions guiding the study were …

Forecasting Retention Among At-Risk College Freshmen Students Through Completion Of A Stem Intervention, Edna Orozco

Theses and Dissertations

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are one of the fastest-growing majors in the nation, engineering, is projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2016 to 2026 with 140,000 new jobs (Torpey, 2018). Unfortunately, there is a disparity between enrollment and graduation rates (Chen, 2015; Lucas & Spina, 2022). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (2017) despite all the research done throughout decades to improve the issue of retention in STEM areas about half of the students who pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) will either leave or …