Sense of Belonging
The following are resources on fostering a Sense of Belonging among college students. If you have any questions about these resources, please contact the Quality Enhancement Plan Librarian, Ramona Miller at ramona.miller@sfcollege.edu, or the director of the Santa Fe College's Quality Enhancement Plan, Bobby Hom at bobby.hom@sfcollege.edu.
Sense of Belonging Articles
Adler-Kassner, Linda, et al. “Sense of Place and Belonging: Lessons from the Pandemic.” Teaching & Learning Inquiry, vol. 10, Jan. 2022. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=eric&AN=EJ1367839&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=sfcc.
The authors investigate how students can feel a sense of connectivity and belonging when in online classes and when the transition from high-school to college does not involve a change in physical space. First year and transfer students at a large minority serving research institution were asked to describe three elements contributing to sense of place and belonging: rituals and rules, connectedness with instructors and peers, classroom configurations. The students had little trouble feeling they belonged while taking courses on campus. This was more difficult for online courses. Students missed the signposting and intentional activities that fostered a community. The authors determined that a framework of community practice can be applied to online learning to help students feel a sense of place and belonging.
Gillen-O’Neel, Cari. “Sense of Belonging and Student Engagement: A Daily Study of First- and Continuing-Generation College Students.” Research in Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 1, Feb. 2021, pp. 45–71. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-019-09570-y.
This study looks at sense of belonging for first and continuing-generation students at five private teaching colleges in Minnesota. Students reported their sense of belonging with the college daily for a week. Those students with a higher sense of belonging had higher emotional and behavioral engagement. On a daily level, a higher sense of belonging for that day contributed to higher engagement for that day. Feelings of engagement could fluctuate day to day. This correlation between sense of belonging and engagement was stronger with first generation students. The writers state that schools can work at both person and daily levels to foster a sense of belonging.
Glass, Chris R., et al. “Uneven Experiences: The Impact of Student-Faculty Interactions on International Students’ Sense of Belonging.” Journal of International Students, vol. 5, no. 4, Sept. 2015, pp. 353–67. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v5i4.400.
This study looks at the sense of belonging among international students. The study took place at Tortuga State University and Central City Metropolitan University. International students from four subgroups ranging from low academic preparedness to high academic preparedness were interviewed. The study examined interactions between students and professors. Professors that fostered inclusion and physical organization of student interaction in the classroom were found to be the most important in fostering a sense of belonging for international students. Negative experiences could also leave lasting impressions. The authors determined that positive interactions with professors were one of the most important parts of fostering a sense of belonging. They also found that negative encounters were found most in the least prepared subgroup.
Hussain, Maryam, and James M. Jones. “Discrimination, Diversity, and Sense of Belonging: Experiences of Students of Color.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, vol. 14, no. 1, Mar. 2021, pp. 63–71. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000117.
This article looks at the sense of belonging among students of color. The study focused primarily on non-international Asian, Black and Hispanic students representing all four levels of academic classification. The Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) Survey was used. Researchers found that discrimination and bias negatively correlated to a sense of belonging. Black students reported the most experiences of discrimination and bias. The study determined that frequent diverse peer interactions are needed to fight against the effects of discrimination and bias. This includes conversations outside of the classrooms.
Johnson, Dawn R., et al. "Examining Sense of Belonging among First-Year Undergraduates from Different Racial/Ethnic Groups." Journal of College Student Development, vol. 48, no. 5, 2007, pp. 525-542. ProQuest, www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/examining-sense-belonging-among-first-year/docview/195178660/se-2.
The researchers took a national sample of nearly 3000 first year students of different racial/ethnic groups. It was found that students of minority groups had a weaker sense of belonging than white students. The researchers found that the different groups found sense of belonging in different areas. The students perception of the residence hall was seen to be the largest predictor of sense of belonging among all groups.
Maghsoodi, Amir H., et al. “Measuring College Belongingness: Structure and Measurement of the Sense of Social Fit Scale.” Journal of Counseling Psychology, vol. 70, no. 4, July 2023, pp. 424–35. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000668.
The researchers give recommendations on how to use Walton & Cohen's Sense of Social Fit Scales (SSF 2007) to determine sense of belonging among college students. The scale is compared to other scales such as the Sense of Belonging Instrument(SBI) and the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM).
Mercado, Felipe. “Difference-Education Intervention That Promotes a Sense of Belonging, Mindset, and Hope in Minoritized First-Generation Students.” Journal of Leadership, Equity, and Research, vol. 9, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 115–32. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=eric&AN=EJ1379316&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
This study looked at the impact of intervention on first-year college student's sense of belonging in Hispanic serving institutions. Students were randomly interviewed about their college expectations and experiences. The questions measured the constructs of belonging, hope and mindset. Continuing students were allowed to share advice with first year students. By using pre and post measurements the intervention of the older students showed promise for the sense of belonging among the first year students.
Nguyen, David J., and Amber Herron. “Keeping up with the Joneses or Feeling Priced Out?: Exploring How Low-Income Students’ Financial Position Shapes Sense of Belonging.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, vol. 14, no. 3, Sept. 2021, pp. 429–40. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000191.
The authors explored how the financial status of 30 low-income students affected their sense of belonging in college. The sample was a mix of gender and race. Many of the students perceived belongingness as important, but felt financial pressure, particularly in the area of technology hindered the sense of belonging. All of the students noted the peer-pressure to spend money. Many felt that they were not having a "college experience" because they could not afford to socialize with their peers. The price of textbooks and other academic materials also hurt sense of belonging. The article gives several ways that administration could ease the burden of low-income students to foster the sense of belonging.
Strayhorn, Terrell L. “Analyzing the Short-Term Impact of a Brief Web-Based Intervention on First-Year Students’ Sense of Belonging at an HBCU: A Quasi-Experimental Study.” Innovative Higher Education, vol. 48, no. 1, Feb. 2023, pp. 1–13. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09559-5.
This study looked at students at a historically black college in the southern United States. The sense of belonging for the participants was measured before the study, then students were given either an online intervention plan, a placebo plan or no plan. The students were evaluated throughout the study. The intervention plan was a short video of first year students at the HBU and how they adjusted. After the study students who had viewed the test video reported a higher sense of belonging than those with the placebo video or no video. The researchers concluded that providing messages to students designed to help them reevaluate hardships they may face can foster a higher sense of belonging in the college.
Sense of Belonging Books
The Impact of a Sense of Belonging in College by Call Number: LA229 .I468 2023Sense of belonging refers to the extent a student feels included, accepted, valued, and supported on their campus. The developmental process of belonging is interwoven with the social identity development of diverse college students. Moreover, belonging is influenced by the campus environment, relationships, and involvement opportunities as well as a need to master the student role and achieve academic success. Although the construct of sense of belonging is complex and multilayered, a consistent theme across the chapters in this book is that the relationship between sense of belonging and intersectionality of identity cannot be ignored, and must be integrated into any approach to fostering belonging. Over the last 10 years, colleges and universities have started grappling with the notion that their approaches to maintaining and increasing student retention, persistence, and graduation rates were no longer working. As focus shifted to uncovering barriers to student success while concurrently recognizing student success as more than solely academic factors, the term "student sense of belonging" gained traction in both academic and co-curricular settings. The editors noticed the lack of a consistent definition, or an overarching theoretical approach, as well as a struggle to connect disparate research. A compendium of research, applications, and approaches to sense of belonging did not exist, so they brought this book into being to serve as a single point of reference in an emerging and promising field of study.
Promoting Belonging, Growth Mindset, and Resilience to Foster Student Success by Call Number: LB1060 .B3535 2020In recent years, growth mindset, resilience, and belonging have become popular topics for research and practice among college educators. The authors of this new volume deepen the conversation around these noncognitive factors that significantly impact student success. Along with offering support for the development of learning mindsets, this book contains strategies for faculty and staff to consider as they create initiatives, programs, and assessments for use in and outside the classroom. Informative features include: - Learning Mindset Stories, highlighting how students, faculty, and staff members dealt with issues related to belonging, growth mindset, and resilience; - Campus Conversations, providing questions for generating discussion among faculty, staff, and students on what institutions can do to incorporate learning mindsets with an eye toward student success; and - Next Steps, serving as a roadmap for implementing institutional change.
33 Simple Strategies for Faculty by Call Number: LB2343.32 .N86 2019 & eBook (click title)Many students struggle with the transition from high school to university life. This is especially true of first-generation college students, who are often unfamiliar with the norms and expectations of academia. College professors usually want to help, but many feel overwhelmed by the prospect of making extra time in their already hectic schedules to meet with these struggling students. 33 Simple Strategies for Faculty is a guidebook filled with practical solutions to this problem. It gives college faculty concrete exercises and tools they can use both inside and outside of the classroom to effectively bolster the academic success and wellbeing of their students. To devise these strategies, educational sociologist Lisa M. Nunn talked with a variety of first-year college students, learning what they find baffling and frustrating about their classes, as well as what they love about their professors' teaching. Combining student perspectives with the latest research on bridging the academic achievement gap, she shows how professors can make a difference by spending as little as fifteen minutes a week helping their students acculturate to college life. Whether you are a new faculty member or a tenured professor, you are sure to find 33 Simple Strategies for Faculty to be an invaluable resource.
College Belonging by Call Number: LB2343.32 .N863 2021 & eBook (click title)College Belonging reveals how colleges' and universities' efforts to foster a sense of belonging in their students are misguided. Colleges bombard new students with the message to "get out there!" and "find your place" by joining student organizations, sports teams, clubs and the like. Nunn shows that this reflects a flawed understanding of what belonging is and how it works. Drawing on the sociological theories of Emile Durkheim, College Belonging shows that belonging is something that members of a community offer to each other. It is something that must be given, like a gift. Individuals cannot simply walk up to a group or community and demand belonging. That's not how it works. The group must extend a sense of belonging to each and every member. It happens by making a person feel welcome, to feel that their presence matters to the group, that they would be missed if they were gone. This critical insight helps us understand why colleges' push for students simply to "get out there!" does not always work.
College Students' Sense of Belonging by Call Number: LB3609 .S77 2019This book explores how belonging differs based on students' social identities, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, or the conditions they encounter on campus. Belonging--with peers, in the classroom, or on campus--is a critical dimension of success at college. It can affect a student's degree of academic adjustment, achievement, aspirations, or even whether a student stays in school. The 2nd Edition of College Students' Sense of Belonging explores student sub-populations and campus environments, offering readers updated information about sense of belonging, how it develops for students, and a conceptual model for helping students belong and thrive. Underpinned by theory and research and offering practical guidelines for improving educational environments and policies, this book is an important resource for higher education and student affairs professionals, scholars, and graduate students interested in students' success. New to this second edition: A refined theory of college students' sense of belonging and review of current literature in light of new and emerging theories; Expanded best practices related to fostering sense of belonging in classrooms, clubs, residence halls, and other contexts; Updated research and insights for new student populations such as youth formerly in foster care, formerly incarcerated adults, and homeless students; Coverage on a broad range of topics since the first edition of this book, including cultural navigation, academic spotting, and the "shared faith" element of belonging.
