No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Finding My Way: Perceptions of Institutional Support and Belonging in Low-Income, First-Generation, First-Year College Students
Abstract
For this qualitative case study we explored students’ perceptions of institutional support and sense of belonging within the college environment. Following 10 low-income, first-generation college students out of a college access program and through their first year of college, we examined institutional support structures that have been reported to increase students’ sense of academic and social belonging, including comprehensive scholarship programs, social identity-based centers and student organizations, residence hall communities, faculty relationships, academic support services, and high-impact educational experiences. In spite of the positive and stabilizing potential of these support structures, several of them simultaneously undermined students’ sense of belonging.
... To better support the academic and social development of their minoritized students, institutions of higher education must reduce the forms of interpersonal and institutional oppression impacting minoritized students and foster the cultural wealth that students utilize to navigate through college Garriott, 2020;Means & Pyne, 2017). Colleges and universities can provide this support by constructing bridges between their structures and the cultural wealth of their minoritized students (Devlin, 2013;Garriott, 2020;Yosso, 2005). ...
... Sedentary interviews focused on the college application process, transitioning to college, and the influences of social class on academic and social experiences. Interview questions were developed from relevant literature on the experiences of racially and economically minoritized college students (e.g., McKay & Devlin, 2016;Means & Pyne, 2017). Intersecting identities, such as race, immigration status, first-generation status, and sexuality, were incorporated into interviews after participants first introduced them. ...
... Many participants emphasized the tremendous value of their mentoring relationships with peers, faculty, and staff who possessed the same cultural identities as themselves and who experienced financial adversity in their college experiences. This finding represents social capital and reinforces extant literature documenting the importance of academic and peer mentorship (e.g., Johnstonbaugh, 2018;Means & Pyne, 2017), especially culturally sensitive mentorship and mentoring relationships with role models who share social identities (e.g., Martinez-Cola, 2020). This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. ...
While college enrollment overall has declined over the past decade, students from racially and economically minoritized backgrounds and first-generation students have been attending postsecondary education in increased numbers (Duffy et al., 2023; Garriott, 2020; National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). These students face many obstacles in their journeys to and through college, including encounters with race- and class-based deficit discourses and gaps between institutional structures and their unique internal resources and needs (Devlin, 2013; Duffy et al., 2023; McKay & Devlin, 2016; Yosso, 2005). Through a Community Cultural Wealth framework (Yosso, 2005), a series of sedentary and walking semistructured interviews, and a constructivist grounded theory analysis (Charmaz, 2006, 2017), this project identifies strategies that ten diverse economically marginalized college students developed and implemented to navigate through their university. It also proposes institutional bridges to affirm and foster the cultural wealth of minoritized students.
... college classroom instructors). Yet faculty are in a pivotal place to impact student academic success, particularly for HEGs (Booker, Merriweather, and Campbell-Whatley 2016;Delima 2019;Gabriel 2018;Means and Pyne 2017;Schreiner et al. 2012). ...
... There are few studies that report how and why instructors engage specific strategies for helping students from HEGs achieve success when they are struggling academically. This qualitative case study examined the actions individual instructors took to advance the success of students from HEGs who were struggling academically, with the goal of inspiring future instructors to create conditions for student success within their own perspectives are often tied to acts of oppression that fundamentally disempower diverse students and fail to acknowledge external factors that determine whether a student will struggle (Means and Pyne 2017). For example, food and housing insecurity are often beyond a students' control, but they directly impact academic performance (Broton 2021;Meza et al. 2019). ...
... This type of classroom culture is crucial to support the academic success of HEGs. All too often, students in these populations are viewed by instructors as intellectually inferior (Harris 2017;Means and Pyne 2017;Tobolowsky, Cox, and Chunoo 2020;Walton and Brady 2021). In comparison, the instructors in this study believed all students were capable of learning. ...
... FGCS are more likely to have a problematic high school-tocollege transition and do not have the tools or psychosocial support for navigating the college lifestyle (Pascarella et al., 2003;Terenzini et al., 1996). Studies suggest that FGCS encounter specific challenges when entering college, such as a lower sense of belonging and lack of awareness of unspoken academic norms (Means & Pyne, 2017). These studies also show that FGCS have had less academic opportunities and preparation upon entering college (Atherton, 2014;Holland, 2010;Núñez, 1998) and take more remedial courses than non-FGCS (Gibbons & Woodside, 2014). ...
... The term "first-generation" college student was created in the 1980s as a way to identify and support disadvantaged students from low-income/underprivileged backgrounds without referring to race and gender (Sharpe, 2017). For many years, researchers investigating FGCS have also used the term "FGLI", meaning first-generation and/or low income (Ishiyama, 2007;Means & Pyne, 2017;Schademan & Thompson, 2016). Considering that household income increases with education (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022a), first-generation status and lower socio-economic status are often inextricably linked. ...
... FGCS having more work responsibilities does not just mean less time to work on assignments and study for tests, but it also likely contributes to lower levels of involvement in extracurricular activities, athletic participation, volunteer work, and non-course-related interactions with peers that often predict college success (Pascarella et al., 2004). It is thus not surprising that various studies show that FGCS experience lower levels of social belonging to the college lifestyle, which is linked to lower retention rates (Ishiyama, 2007;Means & Pyne, 2017;Pratt et al., 2019;Schademan & Thompson, 2016). ...
First-generation college students (FGCS), defined as students whose parents did not earn a baccalaureate degree, encounter distinct obstacles navigating academia. Barriers faced by FGCS, including lack of financial security, lower sense of belonging, and inadequate mentorship, are often compounded by the intersection of other marginalized identities. As such, efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion can and should include FGCS. To better support FGCS, first we must fully understand who they are, where they are pursuing degrees, what they choose to study, and their representation in the geosciences. We use over 40 years of data to explore the demographics and field of study of FGCS in U.S. institutions. We observe that FCGS have outnumbered non-FCGS at the undergraduate level since data collection began in the 1990’s. At the doctoral level we present data from 1974-2016 that show that although non-FGCS have outnumbered FGCS since the 1990’s, most doctoral graduates of color continue to be FGCS. Our data also show that in 2016 over 61% of all undergraduates receiving a bachelor’s degree across all fields were FGCS, 54% of physical science undergraduates were FGCS, and yet only 25% of those in the geosciences were FGCS. Out of the various fields analyzed, the geosciences have the lowest percentage of FGCS at the undergraduate and doctoral level. This begs the question, why are FGCS yet another markedly underrepresented group in the geosciences? Here we begin to address this question and provide guidance for how to reduce barriers to FGCS inclusion in the geosciences.
... Access and acceptance into various campus clubs and organizations at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) have been long-standing problems for students of marginalized racial/ethnic identities and social classes (Jack, 2019;Means & Pyne, 2017;Silver, 2020b). Students who report being African American/Black, Asian, and Latino/a/x are Table 4 Latent class association with academic and developmental outcomes N = 6,697; ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, & *p < 0.05. ...
... Postsecondary institutions create these spaces for various marginalized racial/ethnic campus groups, and there has been a recent increase in campus groups for low-income, first-generation and working-class students. These spaces allow students to evade micro-and macro-aggressions (Lee & Harris, 2020;Means & Pyne, 2017). Campuses need to continue supporting and implementing new racial-ethnic and social-class-oriented affinity groups. ...
... Campuses need to continue supporting and implementing new racial-ethnic and social-class-oriented affinity groups. Besides the fact that these organizations could help create the opportunity for increased connectivity and belonging, they can provide students the chance for leadership roles and support both new and returning students to navigate the predominantly White middle-class context that is higher education (Harper, 2013;Means & Pyne, 2017;Museus, 2008). ...
Using the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education and a latent class analysis of 28 outside-the-classroom activities and behaviors, we developed a typology of outside-the-classroom student engagement during the first year of college. We find ten classes of student involvement: academic artist, party athlete, serious athlete, conventional non-worker, disengaged, maximizer, moderate worker, detached partier, involved partier, and religious. Next, we examine the relationship between latent classes and students’ characteristics through a multinomial logistic regression analysis. Students reporting as first-generation or racially minoritized are overrepresented in the disengaged and involved partier classes. We found an overrepresentation of White students across all party classes. Students reporting as female were likelier to be members of the religious, moderate worker, and disengaged classes and not to be members of the party classes. Federal grant recipients were likelier to be in the academic artist and moderate worker classes. We discuss other sociocultural, economic, and academic relationships in the paper. Next, we explore the relationship of latent class to academic and developmental outcomes. We find academic artists as the only class with a significant positive relationship across the seven dependent measures. Involved partier, moderate worker, and religious classes have positive relationships with at least five dependent measures. The detached partier and party athlete classes have the lowest first-year GPAs of all latent classes. Finally, we discuss the relationships of latent classes, related institutional policy implications, and directions for future research.
... Belonging includes feelings of being accepted and included by important others, which has been identified as a basic human need, and as a result, belonging is an important aspect that shapes student experiences [3]. Students may not even be aware of the importance of belonging in introductory courses [47]. Sense of belonging links to academic outcomes such as persistence, adjustment, and achievement [4,5,17,[46][47][48][49][50]. ...
... Students may not even be aware of the importance of belonging in introductory courses [47]. Sense of belonging links to academic outcomes such as persistence, adjustment, and achievement [4,5,17,[46][47][48][49][50]. Belonging serves a primary function in connecting peers and academic institutions [51]. ...
Engineering requires more bachelor’s degree graduates to meet the growing demand for engineering skills globally. One way to address this demand is increasing student degree completion, which is lower than higher education in general. In particular, Black, Latino/a/x, and Indigenous (BLI) students are less likely to complete an engineering degree than their peers. BLI students experience a host of unwelcoming behaviors in engineering environments that contribute to departure without their intended degree. Improving environments to support belonging may offer one solution. Through an ecological belonging intervention, we seek to improve continued enrollment and increase belonging. Quasi-experimental methods were used in a second-semester engineering programming course. Surveys collected before and after an intervention combined with institutional data were used to test the moderation effects of the intervention on continued enrollment in engineering during the semester following the intervention. BLI students who were enrolled in intervention treatment sections were more likely to be enrolled in engineering the following fall. The intervention treatment increased belonging such that control section participants were less likely to continue to be enrolled in engineering. While research to assess the efficacy and mechanisms of the intervention is ongoing, the intervention offers promising results to address attrition, particularly for BLI students.
... Even when school and work schedules do not conflict, students with jobs may be unable to participate in social gatherings or extracurricular opportunities which could otherwise enable them to form stronger relationships with college faculty, staff, and peers (Means and Pyne, 2017). Thus, a lack of economic capital may prevent students from accessing specific forms of social capital that could facilitate their degree completion and long-term success. ...
... The vast majority of Pell eligible students also received Pell grants, but because of differences in tracking between institutions, we only use Pell eligibility and not actual Pell recipient as our measure. Whether a student is a first-generation college student is used as a measure of socioeconomic status and parental education (Means and Pyne, 2017). This measure is based on the university's designation of the student as first-generation or not, and there is some variability with whether students whose parents attended college without graduating are counted as first-generation in college. ...
Many students who enroll in a public U.S. 4-y college will not graduate. The odds of completing a college degree are even lower for students who have been marginalized in higher education, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Can undergraduate research increase a student’s likelihood of graduating college and close educational equity gaps in college completion? To answer this question, we use data from six public U.S. universities (N = 120,308 students) and use Propensity Score Matching to generate a comparison group for analyses. We conducted logistic regressions on graduation rates and equity gaps in 4 and 6 y using the matched comparison group and undergraduate researchers in STEM (n = 2727). When being compared with like-peers and controlling for background characteristics and prior academic performance, students who participated in undergraduate research were twice as likely to graduate in 4 y and over 10 times as likely to graduate in 6 y. We also found that equity gaps in 4-y graduation rates for students of color, low-income, and first-generation students were cut in half for undergraduate researchers. At 6 y, these gaps were completely closed for undergraduate researchers. As we seek ways to close education gaps and increase graduation rates, undergraduate research can be a meaningful practice to improve student success.
... As outlined in the literature review, faculty can have a positive impact on persistence and graduation outcomes by providing FGS students' academic validation and sense of belonging. However, FGS are often reticent to initially engage with faculty (Means & Pyne, 2017). Study participants cited praise for most of their faculty and teaching assistants (TAs) (especially those within their major) for their teaching, academic support, and ability to build rapport with them. ...
... In the current study, the most important way CEAS contributed to persistence and graduation outcomes was FGS engagement with their faculty/TA. The FGS literature is clear regarding the positive impact faculty have on FGS persistence and graduation outcomes (Means & Pyne, 2017). The ability for faculty/TA to provide "academic validation," defined by developing student relationships, understanding and validating FGS experiences, and providing microaffirmations, is paramount (Irlbeck et al., 2014). ...
... Instructors play a critical role in helping students achieve success both in and out of the classroom (Bensimon, 2007;Delima, 2019;Schreiner et al., 2012). For instance, instructors are in a critical position to foster student resiliency, sense of belonging, and overall well-being (Means & Pyne, 2017). Instructor attitudes, perceptions, interactions, and pedagogical approaches directly impact academic performance and persistence for students from HEGs (Benson & Lee, 2020;Evans, 2020;Gist-Mackey et al., 2018;Schreiner et al., 2012;Turner, 2022). ...
... Students view instructors as trusted authority figures who can provide them with information, resources, and encouragement (Gist-Mackey et al., 2018). Instructor support includes proactive outreach, availability, inviting students to office hours, demonstrating a sense of care, including diverse perspectives in curriculum, encouraging students to use their authentic voices in assignments, and actively valuing students' diverse experiences and knowledges (Bell & Santamaría, 2018a;Castillo-Montoya, 2019;Delima, 2019;Means & Pyne, 2017;Schreiner et al., 2012;Strayhorn, 2012). Students value instructors who provide encouragement, put effort into their teaching, and hold high expectations (Castillo-Montoya, 2019; Delima, 2019;Moskowitz & Dewaele, 2021). ...
This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of struggling students who identified as first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color (i.e., Historically Excluded Groups), and their beliefs about success, struggle, and characteristics of supportive instructors. Thematic analysis revealed student participants understood academic success and struggle in terms of Identifying Performance Measures, Developing a Growth Mindset, and Integrating Knowledge. Students identified supportive instructors by using one or more of the following themes, which were described using in vivo codes: Creates More Motivation for Me, Puts the Joy into Learning, Doesn’t Make You Feel Dumb, Not Here to Hurt Your Grades, Makes Material Understandable, Treats Us as More Than Just Students, and If I Ever Needed Anything. Implications for practice include expanding the definition of academic success and engaging specific instructor dispositions and behaviors to better support these students.
... In addition, Hutchen et al. (2022) found that first-generation graduate students felt they needed faculty to understand that many are working full time or have additional commitments outside of the university, making it difficult to take advantage of resources offered. Means and Pyne (2017) found that faculty were one of the most important factors for these students' sense of belonging on campus. First-generation students benefited when faculty recognized and filled any gaps in prior knowledge; used multiple modalities during instruction (visual, auditory, kinesthetic); provided visuals and lecture notes; developed students' self-efficacy skills; engaged in outreach, relationship building, and one-on-one conversations with students; provided feedback; and were approachable in their demeanor. ...
... Because feelings of belonging and connection are positively correlated with firstgeneration Latinx students' engagement in courses and progress toward graduation (Castillo-Montoya, 2017;Hausmann et al., 2007;Means & Pyne, 2017;Tello & Lonn, 2017), it is important for professors to consider how they can enhance students' sense of belonging and show that they value their presence. Since the findings related to the differences between first-generation and non-first-generation students were largely not significant, recommendations can provide guidance but should be implemented with an eye to the needs of the specific set of students in a class. ...
First-generation college students comprise a sizable number of the student population in colleges and universities across the nation. As faculty are tasked with teaching and supporting these students in their courses, it is important to consider the alignment of faculty perspectives and the needs of first-generation students. This study explored the perspectives of 176 post-baccalaureate students and 54 faculty at a large, urban Hispanic-serving university in California, with nearly 77% of the campus population consisting of first-generation students and 65% of Latinx students. Data collection consisted of surveys completed by faculty as well as first-generation and non-first-generation students. Although first-generation and non-first-generation students did not differ significantly in their ratings of faculty’s teaching practices, the means were lower for more items among the first-generation students. Findings also indicate that greater alignment is needed between how faculty teach and what first-generation students need to succeed, most notably in the lower ratings of faculty teaching by students versus faculty themselves and the differing themes emerging from qualitative analyses of participants’ responses.
... A mixed-method approach best captured the outcomes and provided increased validity through several data collection approaches; these were quantitative with multiple surveys and qualitative with focus groups. Because college admission alone will not close the access and opportunity gap or lead to ensuring students' equitable opportunities to pursue their higher education goals, Soar included a set of outcomes to support the students in admissions and far beyond, according to research-based program philosophies and design (Kezar et al. 2020;Means and Pyne 2017;Yes We Must Coalition 2022). This evaluation measures all six Soar program goals. ...
... in college (Allen and Robbins 2008;Engle and Tinto 2008;Means and Pyne 2017;Xie et al. 2016). This theme was also reiterated in the students' abilities and motivations for successfully submitting college applications. ...
The higher education gap persists in the United States for underserved, first-generation, low-income minority students. They often have little knowledge of college application and future success. This mixed-method study evaluated a Northeastern university-sponsored tutorial-mentorship 2-year program, Soar (pseudonym), for 80 metropolitan first-generation junior and senior high school students. One research question guided the study: Does Soar as a precollege program for underserved, first-generation, minority high school students help them successfully complete applications and prepare them for higher educational success? With college-oriented classes and workshops, the students submitted applications and received 205 acceptances from 96 colleges. Quantitative surveys and qualitative forums showed significant improvement in socioemotional and cognitive skill development and knowledge. Themes derived from qualitative focus groups supported the quantitative results. For juniors: Confidence, Aligning Schools and Strengths, Financial Literacy. For seniors: College Aspirations; Successfully Complete College Applications; Confidence, Self-Advocacy, Communication; Knowledge About Diversity of Schools and Critical Thinking. For mentors: Matching, Closeness, Trust; Confidence, Voice, Perseverance, Strengths, Goal Pursuit; Civic Engagement. The findings illustrate how an outreach program can result in higher education attainment and success for underserved, first-generation, minority high school students. Soar can become a model for college preparation for similar underserved students in other urban areas.
... The literature on first-generation college students often concentrates on the lack of students' academic preparedness (Atherton, 2014;Boden, 2011;D' Amico & Dicka, 2013;Strayhorn, 2007). Studies about FG students have since expanded to include articles on the institutional support structures that enhance students' sense of belonging (Becker et al., 2017;Means & Pyne, 2017;Strebleton et al., 2014). For this article, sense of belonging refers "to a feeling of connectedness that one is important or matters to others" (Strayhorn, 2012, p.3). Sense of belonging tends to be lower among FG students, particularly those who live off campus and have limited opportunities for academic and social engagement (Strebleton et al., 2014). ...
... For this article, sense of belonging refers "to a feeling of connectedness that one is important or matters to others" (Strayhorn, 2012, p.3). Sense of belonging tends to be lower among FG students, particularly those who live off campus and have limited opportunities for academic and social engagement (Strebleton et al., 2014). Support structures, including student organizations and social base centers on campus, may encourage FG students to feel like they matter, which has a significant impact on their sense of belonging (Means & Pyne, 2017). Academic enrichment programs designed to support FG students' mental well-being and sense of belonging tend to help counter possible obstacles (Becker et al., 2017). ...
This study explored the lived experiences of first-generation transfer students (FGTS) and their utilization of support structures at a mid-size, public university in New England. Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory as a framework, this case study presents results that sought to center the voices of FGTS as it relates to the support services they utilize. In addition to the FGTS experiences, the case included interviews with university staff members and analyses of institutional documents. Implications for high education institutions to better support first-generation transfer students are discussed.
... Moreover, the age group most likely to experience depressive symptoms are individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, which encompasses the age range of most traditional undergraduate students (Dixon & Kurpius, 2008). Minoritized college students (e.g., racial/ethnic minority students, sexual minority students, low-income students) attending, 4-year, predominantly White institutions of higher education (PWIs) may be at higher risk of mental health issues given that they face many of the same stressors as other college students, as well as additional unique stressors such as discrimination (i.e., the unfair treatment of an individual based on their perceived or actual membership in a social-identity group, such as gender, race, physical disability, or sexual orientation; American Psychological Association, 2019) and other marginalizing experiences, financial problems, or difficulty connecting with other students due to a lack of shared experiences (Jones et al., 2002;Means & Pyne, 2017;Woodford et al., 2014). ...
... Additionally, we also accounted for specific demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, first-generation status, and gender. Identifying as male gendered or White, in addition to having parents with the financial and cultural capital to help navigate institutions of higher education, may afford students an easier path towards integrating into their PWI environment, and the research reflects this differential experience (Duran et al., 2020;Means & Pyne, 2017;Rainey et al., 2018). Furthermore, previous studies have shown that being part of certain privileged groups (specifically being male, White, or continuing-generation) reduces the likelihood of marginalizing experiences, potentially leading to differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms (Girgus & Yang, 2015;George & Lynch, 2003;Jenkins et al., 2013). ...
In this study, we explored the potential for an individual’s sense of belonging to serve as an indirect pathway that could explain the noxious effects of discrimination on mental health outcomes among underrepresented college students at a predominantly White institution (PWI). Students ( N = 308; 68% female) were eligible to participate if they identified as a historically underrepresented racial or ethnic minority, economically disadvantaged, and/or if they identified as a first-generation college student. Data were collected over three time points during students’ first three academic years. Bootstrapped confidence intervals of the standardized indirect effect indicated that discrimination at time one indirectly predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms and experienced stress at time three via a lowered sense of belonging at time two. These results suggest that underrepresented students’ sense of belonging at a PWI may explain some of the relationship between students’ experiences of discrimination and negative mental health outcomes.
... These students outperform other students to academic attainment. Students who perceive a terrible relationship with their teachers undoubtedly depend more on them, lead troubled lives and lack intimate relationships, which contributes to their poor academic performance (Means & Pyne, 2017). The relationship between teacher and the students significantly impacts both parties' performance. ...
... They may get closer to their classmates and produce competent and productive outcomes. Students experience several trajectories during their academic careers where they cannot connect to the social and academic resources offered in classroom and school, leading to a failure (Means & Pyne, 2017). Although many different and complicated aspects affect a child's performance, research shows that teacher expectations significantly impact students' learning. ...
KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Teacher Student Relationship, Academic Achievement, Perceptions, Students' Grades The primary goal of this research was to investigate relationship between teachers and students and its impact upon students' academic success. As students spend significant amount of time with their teachers, collaborative and close relationship between them has a critical and meaningful effect on students. This study aimed to answer two key questions: How do students perceive their relationships with their teachers? And how does relationship amid teachers and students affect academic achievement? To address these questions, the study employed a positivist paradigm and a quantitative approach. The survey method was used to collect data, and a structured questionnaire was used as instrument. The study population comprised all public and private universities in Lahore, and a convenient sampling technique was used to select eight universities, four public and four private. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS-V-27, & descriptive and inferential statistics were used to draw conclusions. The study findings revealed that strong relationship between teachers and students existed, and it had a significant impact upon students' academic achievement. The study also found that students' perceptions of their relationships with their teachers were positive and had positive effect on their grades & academic achievements.
... Several participants addressed the helpfulness supportive faculty members or advisors provided to them. Supportive college faculty and administrators can help first-generation students feel a greater sense of belonging (Means & Pyne, 2017). Mentorships such as these have a significant impact on the emotional development of women as they attend college. ...
To provide effective rural leadership and ensure students with intellectual disabilities are receiving an appropriate education, principals must understand the substantial needs of these students. Eight principals of remote rural school districts, with at least one year of leadership experience participated in this phenomenological study. Based on the findings, principals are not professionally prepared to provide FAPE for students with intellectual disabilities, nor are they confident in their ability to do so and rely heavily on their special education teachers to comprehend and comply with educational mandates.
... Although we acknowledge that it may be counterproductive for these collegians to cultivate a sense of belonging within an endemically racist society, which includes higher education institutions (Stokes, 2021), for colleges and universities, it is crucial to analyze undocumented students' belongingness further. It is important to learn with whom, in what contexts, and where these students may be finding or creating physical and virtual spaces where they can be their authentic selves (Means & Pyne, 2017;Vaccaro & Newman, 2016), in addition to the counterspaces that are validating their intersecting identities and experiences (Nunez, 2011). Further, all members of a campus community must be included in policy decision-making processes and educational conversations, which include those student communities that are often left out (e.g., undocumented and DACA, trans*, 4 Native and Indigenous students) and rendered "invisible" (Brayboy, 2004). ...
... A key part of relationship building in ecological validation is holistically engaging with students and their experiences, including their social class background. Because social class is often rendered invisible, an intentional focus on implementing these recommendations with an eye toward social class is critical and needed for at least four reasons: (a) higher education environments are often classist, alienating environments that are conducive to mistrust and a lack of connection for low-income students; (b) campuses continue to reflect traditional middle-and upper class norms, values, traditions, and ways of knowing that undervalue the habitus, values, and knowledge of low-income students, (c) class is, again, often rendered invisible and thus, to date, often not intentionally centered in the process of educator support and relationship building to the detriment of low-income students, and (d) low-income students often do not have the same guidance as their higher income counterparts that would compel them to initiate relationships with educators, and thus benefit from educators proactively reaching out to build relationships (Bettencourt, 2021;Kezar, 2011;Kezar et al., 2022;Kitchen et al., 2021;Martin, 2015;Means & Pyne, 2017;Soria et al., 2013). The following four recommendations promote relationship building with low-income students and enactment of ecological validation. ...
Low-income students make up an increasing share of college-goers, and yet they are significantly less likely than their more privileged peers to earn a college degree. Meaningful relationships between educators and students are crucial for supporting college success, however, making these connections can be particularly difficult for low-income students in college environments that privilege middle- and upper class ways of knowing, values, traditions, norms, and language. This practice brief presents empirically based recommendations to educators seeking to build validating, affirming relationships with low-income students that lay the groundwork for their college success.
... While upperclassmen are more likely to persist than freshmen, the risk of dropping out continues even after achieving initial success in college (Nora et al., 2005). Studies have found sense of belonging, financial aid types, and amounts change over time and consequently influence behavior differently as students persist (DesJardins et al., 2002;Kamer & Ishitani, 2021;Means & Pyne, 2017). Additionally, college athletes are allocated a limited amount of time for athletic participation. ...
The purpose of this research is to conduct an exploratory study examining factors that influence the academic success of college athletes participating in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), a subject that has not been empirically studied. For this study, academic success defined as retention and graduation, represents the dependent variables of interest. Additionally, this study examines actors influencing academic success including institutional financial aid, background characteristics (race, gender), college experience (GPA, residential housing), athletic characteristics (sport, athletic expenses), organizational structure, and participation as a varsity or non-varsity athlete. This study uses institutional data from 2019-2020 NAIA’s Return on Athletics (ROA) initiative, and data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Logistic regression is used to answer two research questions exploring the factors that influence NAIA college athlete success. Findings indicate athletes are retained at a high rate in comparison to available NAIA data, but certain sub-groups may be at risk for attrition. Specifically, non-varsity athletes, athletes with a grade point average below 3.0, or those who have been enrolled less than two years.
... What is intriguing is that neither the GeoScholars nor the GG/OSP students perceived themselves differently from the MSCI 101 group, nor did their perceptions decline overtime. These results diverge from other work showing increasing alienation and frustration by students in the field (Means and Pyne, 2017), suggesting that the intense mentoring, cohort building, and support offered by the program was successful in offsetting potential poor experiences. ...
There have been many efforts to broaden participation and diversity in the geosciences with varying degrees of success. The goal of the National Science Foundation-funded GeoScholar Program in the School of the Earth, Ocean & Environment (SEOE) at the University of South Carolina was to increase geoscience exposure and the number of geoscience undergraduate majors (environmental, geological, and marine sciences) from low-income, minority, and first-generation college backgrounds.
... These challenges may intensify fears of non-belonging and lead to social isolation. 5 ...
The educational adjustments to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., distance learning and Zoom) have led to instances of loneliness and isolation among college students, especially at residential campuses such as Georgetown University. Such social disengagement can have a significant impact on a student’s transition to campus and can have a lasting effect on the rest of their college life. This needs assessment (performed in the Spring of 2022) explores the impact of loneliness among students, including themes such as mental health issues, loss of campus engagement, and problems with relationship-building. Pre-pandemic data on the social experiences of high-risk populations on college campuses are included to highlight how the post-virtual environment may have exacerbated varying pre-existing levels of loneliness. This data provides background for the needs assessment of the post-virtual world, as the core focus of this paper is solely post-virtual education/post-pandemic student experiences. We hypothesized that student and faculty interviews conducted at Georgetown University, and scholarly analysis of literature, would indicate the need for improved social support in the college setting. Students reported a lack of connection and increased mental health challenges due to the virtual environment of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the research, we determined that an app to address student loneliness (Nod), opportunities to engage with faculty, spaces of well-being on campus, and quality and accessible mental health resources are recommended to combat student loneliness. The negative impacts of the pandemic are still affecting college students today. Thus, it is necessary to identify ways to mitigate increased loneliness and isolation.
... Although first-generation college students report high educational aspiration (Garriott et al., 2013), only 20 % of first-generation students in the United States attain their bachelor's degree within 6 years of their enrollment, compared to 49 % of continuing-generation students (Center for First-Generation Student Success, 2019). These discrepancies are particularly visible in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines (STEM; Dika & D'Amico, 2015) and at selective institutions (e.g., Means & Pyne, 2017;Tibbetts et al., 2018), highlighting the need for understanding firstgeneration students' experiences in competitive academic environments. ...
Compared to continuing-generation students, first-generation college students face additional barriers to their sense of belonging in STEM disciplines and at selective institutions. We examined first-generation (N = 1293) and continuing-generation (N = 2150) students' perceptions of belonging uncertainty, math motivation, and math achievement at eight research and comprehensive universities. Results of the multigroup structural equation analyses suggested that first-generation students who had higher belonging uncertainty reported lower success expectancies and higher perceived costs for math. Less adaptive math motivational beliefs, in turn, predicted lower math achievement for first-generation students. For continuing-generation students, belonging uncertainty was unrelated to math expectancies, value, costs, and achievement. The multigroup analyses revealed significant differences in how expectancies and costs mediated the relationship between belonging uncertainty and math achievement for first-generation versus continuing-generation students. Results have implications for narrowing social class equity gaps in selective institutions and diversifying STEM.
... Belonging serves as an important component of the college experience with studies by Fan et al. [29] and Thomas & Galambos [30] demonstrating that sense of belonging is a predictor of students' overall satisfaction with their college experience. In the context of higher education, sense of belonging has been linked to outcomes such as retention, persistence, academic adjustment, and academic achievement [27], [28], [30]- [32]. Inversely, belonging uncertainty can threaten students' ability to benefit from instructional activities [33]. ...
Though studies have examined how unequal outcomes manifest for Black, Latino/a/x, and Indigenous (BLI) engineering students and how to address these inequalities, not enough work to date has privileged BLI student narratives to understand how they make meaning in the engineering environment given their unique situated histories. To begin to fill this gap, we use narrative analysis to unpack and give voice to the experiences of BLI students at a Predominately White Institution and explore how BLI students make meaning of their experiences in engineering. Data were derived from a multi-institutional mixed methods study that engages in an educational improvement activity and follows students longitudinally across their college experience. This study is based on interviews at two timepoints with eight BLI participants. Narrative analysis was employed to understand and construct stories regarding the evolution of how participants interpreted their experiences of how sense of belonging was created, enhanced, or impeded within engineering environments. Findings from this study indicate that engagement in a range of communities can help to mitigate the negative effects of identity-related obstacles and can enhance BLI students’ sense of belonging. Participants found and engaged in community in a variety of ways, through formal and informal capacities and in both individual and group contexts. Our results also indicate that despite the additional barriers that BLI students experience, they continue to espouse the meritocratic belief that anyone, regardless of identity, has an equal opportunity to become an engineer. The implications of this belief for BLI student success are discussed in the paper.
... Additionally, when faculty took the time to present course materials in diverse modalities, such as group activities, recorded lectures, or class discussions, students felt that their instructors cared about their academic success. Prior literature has found an association between teaching practices and belongingness at the classroom level (Kirby and Thomas, 2022) and a link between caring and supportive instructor behaviors and increased sense of connectedness within larger academic communities (Johnson et al., 2007;Means and Pyne, 2017;Museus et al., 2017a,b;Gopalan and Brady, 2020). Given that classroom-level belonging facilitated by instructors may be more impactful than campus-level belonging to student success (Wilson et al., 2015;Blackwell-Starnes, 2018), faculty have the opportunity and responsibility to cultivate healthy communities and inclusive climates in the learning environments (Kirby and Thomas, 2022). ...
First-generation college students often experience greater social alienation and marginalization due to a mismatch of their cultural values compared to those of their university and often report lower academic satisfaction and sense of belonging. The effects on sense of belonging and satisfaction are intensified when first-generation college students have identities that intersect with other stigmatized social and cultural identities, like low socioeconomic status, Black or Latinx racial identities or religious identities, specifically for STEM majors. Students’ holistic health and well-being, including their sense of belonging, is highly correlated to their academic achievement, persistence, and overall student success, especially for underrepresented minority groups. However, there has been limited consideration for the nuanced experiences of first-generation college students with multiple stigmatized identities, and for how the academic STEM environment shapes student’s perceptions of inclusivity considering their social identities. To address these concerns, we used the Bioecological Systems theory to contextualize drivers of sense of belonging for students with stigmatized social and cultural identities by allowing space to explicitly consider institutional, departmental, classroom and societal-level phenomena that may operate to erode or fortify belonging for some individuals over others. Findings were organized contextually first, revealing how broader societal and familial values shaped their perceptions of their first-generation identity. Next, we reported how various forms of engagement and interactions with institutional agents impacted their perceptions of support at the institutional level. We then documented behavioral patterns within STEM departments that culminated to reveal how first-generation college students’ sense of belonging was impacted by perceived departmental culture. Last, we revealed interactions within STEM classrooms that signaled inclusivity through humanizing and intentional pedagogical practices. Infused throughout all findings are instances where student experiences were mediated through their multiple identities and were shaped by dual global pandemics of 2020, that being COVID-19 and the racial unrest resurfaced by the murder of George Floyd. Implications for this work have the potential to restructure how institutions provide support for first-generation college students given the salience of their intersecting stigmatized identities in shaping their institutional, disciplinary, and classroom belonging.
... Existing identitybased campus organizations should develop community programming and community building that reflects their members' intersectional identities (e.g., Black sororities; ethnic cultural centers developing LGBTQ-specific programming; etc.). Moreover, research suggests that quality relationships with faculty are conducive to boosting sense of university belonging (Means & Pyne, 2017;Miller et al., 2019;Schmahl & Nguyen, 2022). Investing in institutional support for professional development is thus imperative. ...
Sense of belonging is crucial for thriving in various contexts and must be maintained over time. However, we know little about how belonging fluctuates. In education, changes in school belonging differ by gender identity. Unfortunately, this evidence does not assess differences by racial identity or socioeconomic status. Because low belonging among students that espouse minoritized racial socioeconomic identities is a pervasive concern, it is important to understand how it functions among diverse groups. Via growth curve modeling this study explores changes in university belonging among individuals (N s = 136, M T1age = 19 years) from diverse backgrounds (Black 16%, Latinx 15%, Asian 19%, White 34%, Native American 3%, Multiracial 13%; 36% low-income; 61% female identifying) over 4 years of college.
... An instructor's friendliness, helpfulness, and encouragement of class participation can contribute to a student's sense of belonging (Museus and Quaye 2009;Means and Pyne 2017). ...
In 2021, people of Hispanic and Latinx origin made up 6% of the atmospheric and Earth sciences workforce of the United States, yet they represent 20% of the population. Motivated by this disparity in Hispanic and Latinx representation in the atmospheric and Earth science workforce, this manuscript documents the lack of representation through existing limited demographic data. The analysis presents a clear gap in participation by Hispanic and Latinx people in academic settings, with a widening gap through each education and career stage. Several factors and challenges impacting the representation disparity include the lack of funding for and collaboration with Hispanic Serving Institutions, limited opportunities due to immigration status, and limited support for international research collaborations. We highlight the need for actionable steps to address the lack of representation and provide targeted recommendations to federal funding agencies, educational institutions, faculty, and potential employers. While we wait for system cultural change from our scientific institutions, grassroots initiatives like those proudly led by the AMS Committee for Hispanic and Latinx Advancement will emerge to address the needs of the Hispanic and Latinx scientific and broader community. We briefly highlight some of those achievements. Lasting cultural change can only happen if our leaders are active allies in the creation of a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future. Alongside our active allies we will continue to champion for change in our weather, water, and climate enterprise.
... Nearly fifty years of research into U.S. postsecondary application patterns has found that students of Color (Welton & Martinez, 2013), low-income students (Means & Pyne, 2017;Perna, 2006), first generation in college students (Pascarella et al., 2004), rural students (Nelson, 2016), English-language learners (Kanno & Cromley, 2013), and students from other minoritized backgrounds (Kezar et al., 2020) do not apply to and access U.S. higher education at the same rate as their peers. In an analysis of postsecondary application processes, Holland (2013) found that many U.S. colleges and universities do not adjust their messaging and information streams to low-income prospective students, nudging these students to apply to "undermatched" institutions (p. ...
Access to United States higher education has remained an important topic in educational research for decades (Clinedinst & Patel, 2018; Hearn, 1984; Hurtado et al., 1997; Orfield, 1992; Perna, 2006). Work emerging from this body of research has found that knowledge of postsecondary processes—such as how to complete admissions applications, write admissions essays, and apply for financial aid—may be critical barriers for many students to overcome to gain admission to the institution of their choice and successfully enroll (Bettinger et al., 2012; Clayton & Umbach, 2020; Fu, 2014; Pennebaker et al., 2014). Merely having reliable Internet (Dettling et al., 2018) and understanding how to use computer applications has been deemed an “invisible academic prerequisite[s]” for access to the United States higher education system (Goode, 2010, p. 584).
In all, access to and success within the U.S. higher education system has been a stressful, rigorous, and difficult process for postsecondary students for as long as the system has been in place (Pascarella et al., 2004). As access and success have remained elusive, this study posits that one element of accessing the system has remained equally elusive and surprisingly understudied: the difficulty of the postsecondary application itself. Studies related to postsecondary applications have largely focused on how many applications a student successfully completes each admissions cycle (Clinedinst & Patel, 2018) and what drives changes in application patterns (Legatt, 2021). These changes are owed a multitude of diverse and seemingly unrelated factors such as institutional reputation (Alter & Reback, 2014), standardized test score policies (Hurwitz et al., 2017), Affirmative Action (Long, 2004), geographic location and access to social capital (Chenoweth & Galliher, 2004), the success of an institution’s athletics program (Pope & Pope, 2009), and most recently, the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic (Smith, 2020; Walsh, 2020). However, beyond studies capturing both quantitative and qualitative data to articulate application trends, very little knowledge exists about the difficulty of postsecondary applications. As a result. this essay provides an outline for how stakeholders can collaborate to simplify college applications for prospective students and their support networks.
... HEIs in South Africa attract students by offering financial assistance using the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and bursaries. It can be argued that financial assistance offered by institutions may possibly affect students' choices as they might consider an institution with a more generous offer (Al-Fattal, 2010;Means and Pyne, 2017;Aungamuthu and Vigar-Ellis, 2017). The financial relief offered by the DUT to students via NSFAS attracts more first-generation students who are unable to afford university fees as many come from the lower Living Standards Measure (LSM) categories (Bawa, 2014). ...
Universities are not only in competition to enrol students, but also to seek and attract the best minds to their institutions. Consequently, most South African universities are known to use various marketing and public relations strategies to create a competitive environment to attract and retain quality students. This paper explores marketing and public relations strategies of a University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal to understand their effectiveness when reaching the institution's targeted audience, students. Data were collected through interviews with staff from the Division of Corporate Affairs and focus groups with a sample of 60 students. The findings indicate that although many traditional marketing and public relations strategies are implemented regularly to attract students, it is important to strengthen the school-university relationship. Moreover, word-of-mouth marketing through successful alumni, staff, current students, friends, teachers, and church members effectively reach the UoTs targeted audience. To attract and retain quality students, it is important to offer quality service in the form of teaching, facilities, and support so that current students and alumni share their experiences and market the university. The findings of this study contribute to higher education institutions strengthening, managing, and building their reputation to remain attractive to students through understanding their needs, expectations, and experiences.
... Meanwhile, the large number of respondents in the first semester showed that their enthusiasm for participating in research was very high. Several studies have stated that in the early days of lectures, individuals will be faced with a period of adaptation so that they will be very vulnerable to getting a variety of diverse information (Means & Pyne, 2017;Morales, 2012;Zhou & Zhang, 2014). This supports the purpose of the study, because it is able to represent varied situations of religious moderation. ...
Religious moderation is considered one of the crucial issues discussed by many parties. This circumstance is evidenced by varied rules and facts, making it an indicator of the nation's welfare. The lack of research that specifically addressed the correlation between religious moderation and psychological attributes was one reason why this study was conducted. Hence, the purpose of the present research was to determine the role of religious moderation on the life satisfaction of generation Z Muslim students. A quantitative design engaging a causal approach was employed to measure the significance of the role of religious moderation on the life satisfaction of generation Z Muslims. 453 respondents selected using the purposive sampling technique participated in this study. To collect the data, researchers administered two tested measuring instruments that indicated good psychometric properties. The regression analysis results revealed a significant impact of religious moderation on the life satisfaction of generation Z Muslim students. Meanwhile, the categorization of respondents confirmed that most of them had moderate and high levels of understanding of religious moderation. This study concluded that to achieve high life satisfaction, religious moderation could be considered an essential aspect of social life. Religious moderation should be considered as a strategy for everyone to behave and behave, especially with regard to religious interactions. Correspondingly, the findings could be implied as a reference for policymakers at Islamic educational institutions in forming an awareness of the importance of religious moderation among generation Z Muslims studying at Islamic universities in Indonesia.
... While these changes represent affirmative support that acts in favor of current working-class students, additional work is needed to re-examine the foundations of classism and transform current systems of inequality in higher education institutions (Bettencourt, 2020b). Residence life has the ability to disrupt systemic oppression and internalized messages of classism, racism, and sexism (Means & Pyne, 2017) and support students' sense of belonging on campus (Soria & Roberts, 2021). In this study, we looked at the experiences of seven resident advisors and how they navigated social class and classism in residential life. ...
The residential community is a key part of the college experience simply because students spend a large majority of their time in the places where they live. Given this fact, a student’s interactions and engagement with their community can positively impact their learning experience. We utilized a constructivist, qualitative, phenomenological study design to examine the residential life experiences of students with the competencies outlined by the National Association of College and Employers. Findings from a thematic analysis of 15 semi-structured interviews resulted in three emergent themes around which students connect their residential life experiences to the competencies: unique context, engagement with residence life, and utilization and growth. This research is important for scholars and housing professionals alike as it advances knowledge in both career readiness and our understanding of how the residential experience contributes to transferable skills.
In response to a growing awareness of undocumented students’ experiences and the challenges they face, many colleges in the United States are developing supports and resources for undocumented students, and a growing number are establishing Undocumented Student Resource Centers (USRCs)—i.e., supportive offices on campus dedicated to the success of these students (Cisneros & Valdivia, 2020). However, no studies to date have explored the psychosocial impacts of USRCs on the lives of undocumented students. In this paper, we examine the psychosocial impact of USRCs on undocumented students through qualitative interviews with USRC coordinators and students who accessed USRC services and programs in California. Our study utilizes the cycles of deportability framework to theorize undocumented students’ experiences as dynamic psychosocial processes, and to explore what happens to these cycles when students encounter the supportive culture of the USRC and begin to experience its practical and psychological supports. Our results demonstrate how Undocumented Student Resource Centers can transform the lives and trajectories of undocumented students not only by providing resources that help them overcome status-related barriers, but by equipping them with the creative agency, psychological strength, and social support needed to pursue their goals despite their status-related limitation.
Sense of belonging (SB), a concept frequently applied to developing welcoming and inclusive campus environments, has become commonplace in discourse about diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, due to taken-for-granted understandings of the nature and intents of the concept and the unquestioned positive representations of SB and its application, the concept is seldom interrogated and evaluated concerning its original intentions and its applicability to different groups across higher education. Thus SB has become a panacea to “fix” all ills. In light of the unquestioned popularity and acceptance of SB and its adoption as a buzzword, this article presents preliminary findings from a larger multiyear research study focused on mapping the terrain surrounding the SB concept’s foundations related to student support efforts as contrasted with contemporary uptake. Specifically, through a systematic review of literature, the present study examines the foundational definitions of belonging (1951) that resulted in the concept of SB being coined (1974) in higher education literature to assess their evolution from the early origins to current times (2021). Our findings reveal that SB has more often than not been used without any theoretical grounding in research and practice especially for marginalized and racially minoritized student populations; this is particularly problematic as some utilizations and conceptualizations of SB continue to perpetuate White normativity. Implications for research and practice are provided.
Previous literature has demonstrated the positive benefits of Service Learning (SL) participation on college student outcomes. This study explored whether SL participation during the first year of college appeared to be a potentially useful community engagement and pedagogical lever for enhancing college students’ academic achievement, retention, and graduation outcomes. Particular attention focused on college students from groups under‐represented in higher education. We used propensity score matching to create comparable treatment (SL participation) and control (non‐SL participation) groups. We then examined the role of SL participation in the first‐year on college student outcome using four matched samples of college students who were first‐years in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Overall, we found that participation in SL during the first college year benefits college students' long‐term academic outcomes (cumulative GPA, cumulative credits earned, year‐to‐year retention, and graduation within 4–6 years), particularly for college students from under‐represented backgrounds.
Building relationships and utilizing support networks on and off campus as a first-generation college student (FGCS) from an immigrant family is critical to achieving postsecondary success. This chapter explores the personal support networks and help-seeking preferences of immigrant-origin FGCSs as part of a three-year longitudinal mixed-methods study with FGCSs at four public Hispanic-serving institutions in California. We employ social network analysis methods using survey and interview data to explore the types of relationships twelve Latinx immigrant-origin FGCSs have that provide them support in college. To guide our analysis, we use Yosso’s (2005) model of community cultural wealth. Findings reveal the significance and specific types of support provided by parents, siblings, extended family, friends and peers, co-workers, and college advisors. These findings promote an expansive view of familial support, with many connections providing encouragement, motivation, and tangible support and serving as brokers to college-based resources. Recognizing these relationships can facilitate the modification of student services and programming to help FGCSs enroll and persist in college.
Recognizing the increasing role academic advising has come to play in student success strategies, this quantitative study sought to explore the relationships between advising, validation/belonging, and students’ college grade point average (GPA). The researcher also examined how students’ marginalized status played a role in these relationships. A national sample of 7,211 graduating senior students was used to test a path model. Multiple regression analyses revealed that while there was no direct relationship between advising and GPA, advising had an indirect impact on GPA via students’ experiences of validation/belonging. Moving forward, student success strategies should situate validating practices that foster belonging and validation at the center of advising interventions.
Selective colleges have become more attentive to, and publicly supportive of, low‐income and first‐generation (LIFG) students over the last 20 years. However, despite claims of support, LIFG students report lower senses of campus belonging, satisfaction, and other important outcomes than do more affluent peers, suggesting a disjuncture between expressed and perceived support. This article draws on data gathered from 33 interviewees across 18 campuses, each of whom is from a low‐income and/or first‐generation background and involved in campus advocacy supporting LIFG students, to examine three questions: To what extent did interviewees perceive a disjuncture between campus stated support and meaningful support for LIFG students? What meaning did they draw from this disjuncture? Finally, what informed their perceptions? The findings show that interviewees indeed perceived a substantial disjuncture between expression and experience of support, which they interpreted as evidence that administrative support was disingenuous. This perception was driven by negative messages from administrators' words and actions.
Drawing from Critical Race and Latino Critical Race frameworks, this qualitative study aimed to examine the role of race in the experiences of pre-service teachers of color at a predominantly White institution. The participants identified factors impacting their sense of belonging, which included perceptions of others, self-perception compared to White peers, isolation, invisibility, and the emotional and academic tolls on them when navigating microaggressions. Implications from this study implore EPPs to consider the development of anti-racist policy and practice and intercultural proficiency development in all aspects of the training process, including curriculum, field experiences, and student teaching. Furthermore, to combat the mechanisms of internalized racism experienced by the participants, this study highlights the need to examine majoritarian views and internalized deficit thinking by engaging pre-service teachers in unpacking their experiences with racist schooling in both K–12 and teacher preparation.
This article juxtaposes culturally neutral undergraduate research with possibilities for culturally relevant and validating research experiences.
Emerging adult, first-generation college students (FGCSs) face academic and social challenges in their adjustment to college. FGCSs are more likely to be students of color and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who may face particularly difficult challenges when they attend highly selective, predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) that have historically centered White middle-class cultural norms and practices. We used longitudinal, embedded mixed methods to holistically understand the college adjustment experiences of 43 first-year, FGCSs predominantly Latinx and Black students at a PWI. Students participated in focus groups and completed self-report questionnaires three times over the course of their first year of college. We found that evolving interpersonal relationships (with peers, faculty, the institution, and their families) and the institution’s climate were at the core of the adjustment process over FGCSs’ first year of college. While institutional capital posed barriers, the support that FGCSs received primarily from students, staff, and faculty of similar backgrounds positively contributed to participants’ wellbeing and college adjustment. In addition to efforts by PWIs to recruit FGCSs, PWIs need to restructure their systems to deliver on their promised support and provide sustained resources that FGCSs need to adjust to and succeed in college and beyond.
Ebeveynlerinden hiçbiri üniversite düzeyinde eğitim derecesine sahip olmayan öğrenciler birinci nesil üniversite öğrencileridir. Bu çalışmada, bu öğrenci grubunun COVID-19 salgını sürecindeki deneyimleri anlaşılmaya çalışılacaktır. COVID-19 salgını; sosyal, kültürel, ekonomik ve siyasal yaşamı derinden etkileyen dünyanın daha önce deneyimlemediği küresel bir süreçtir. Etkilediği alanlar ve güçlüklerle farklı grupların, özellikle dezavantajlı grupların daha olumsuz bir biçimde etkilendiği yapılan çalışmalarla ortaya çıkmıştır. Salgından etkilenen en önemli demografik gruplardan biri de gençlerdir. Eğitim sürecinin içinde olan gençler, “evde kalma” politikasıyla yüz yüze eğitimden uzaktan/çevrimiçi eğitime geçmek zorunda kalmıştır. Bu geçiş, kendi içlerindeki eşitsizliklerin daha şiddetli biçimde görünür olmasına ve yeniden üretilmesine neden olmuştur. Uluslararası çalışmalarda, birinci nesil üniversite öğrencilerinin, dezavantajlı bir grup olduğu belirtilmektedir. Bu çalışmada ise, Türkiye’deki üniversite öğrencilerin dörtte üçünü oluşturan bu öğrenci grubunun salgın sürecindeki deneyim örüntülerinin anlaşılması amacıyla, 14 öğrenciyle gerçekleştirilen yarı-yapılandırılmış mülâkatlar tematik analiz yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiş ve dört ana tema ortaya çıkmıştır: ekonomik zorluklar, çevrimiçi eğitim, aile yanına geri dönme ve arkadaşlık ilişkileri. Bu temalar çerçevesinde yaşanan tüm güçlükler onların eğitime katılımlarına etki etmekte ve mezuniyet sonrası yaşamları için sorun oluşturma potansiyeline sahip görünmektedir. Bu nedenle, salgın dönemindeki deneyimlerden de anlaşıldığı üzere, yukarı sosyal hareketlilik için üniversitelerin sağladığı her türlü olanak birinci nesil öğrenciler için çok değerlidir. Öyleyse, kurumların onların ihtiyaçlarına yönelik politikalar üretmeleri, akademik, sosyal ve kültürel sermayeleri için yatırım yapmaları hem bireysel hem de ulusal düzeydeki refahın artmasına katkı sağlayacaktır.
Generation Z college students present with specific characteristics, learning styles, and interpersonal needs. Since March of 2020, these students have endured sociocultural stressors of COVID‐19, publicized racial injustices, and a contentious presidential election. This article examines this and how college counselors’ use of relational‐cultural therapy can lead to collective healing.
The mental health crisis among college students has become one of the most pressing issues, especially during the pandemic. Researchers discuss food insecurity as one of the leading causes of mental distress. The onset and continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to compound food insecurity, economic hardship, and mental health. This study aims to understand the mental health of college students in relation to food insecurity and financial struggles to meet basic living expenses and debts during the pandemic. Authors collected survey data from college students in a public urban university in 2020 and conducted a multiple regression (N = 375). Evidence indicated that mental health became significantly worse after the pandemic onset. Mental health was significantly associated with food insecurity and multiple economic hardships, controlling for prepandemic mental health and other characteristics. The findings affirm that food insecurity and dire levels of economic hardship have devastating effects on the mental health of young adults. The article highlights the long-term implications of mental health affected by basic needs insecurity and the emergent need for integrated services and university-community partnerships.
This chapter presents an overview of the cultural adjustment challenges among first-year students in university. The chapter focuses on the types of cultural adjustments, the stages of cultural adjustments, and the challenges the first-year students experience as they adapt to the new cultural set up in the universities. The purpose of this chapter will be to find the cultural adjustment challenges faced by first-years in the university. In this chapter, document analysis was adopted as the research methodology. The findings of this study had implications to the university management and counseling departments at higher educations. The study recommends that university management should develop appropriate policies to make the learning institutions' environments more conducive for students to adjust effectively in terms of culture. In addition, the author recommends that counseling staff at universities should help the first-year students adapt socially and culturally as they join the universities through peer mentoring.
This study uses data from the Healthy Minds Study national dataset of first-generation college students of color (N = 853) to examine the relationship between students’ sense of belonging and college involvement factors such as extracurricular activities, diversity exposure, residence, and academic impairment. Results from the hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) model predicted 18.9% of the variability in sense of belonging. The model showed a statistically significant association between sense of belonging and the college involvement factors of academic impairment, campus diversity, and extracurricular involvement. Implications for first-generation college students of color and institutions will be discussed.
The geosciences are amongst the least diverse of the STEM disciplines. The lack of diversity could be related to the role that the intersection of identities (such as gender identity, sexual identity, race, and ethnicity) have related to an individual’s perception of self. To explore this idea, the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity was adapted to collect information (through an online questionnaire) from current geoscientists regarding their geoscience identity, gender identity, sexual identity, and race to understand how these factors may affect one’s identity as a geoscientist. A total of 157 responses were collected. Results suggest that 39% of the participants do feel that their gender identity positively influences their identity as a geoscientist and 20% of participants feel that their sexual identity positively influences their identity as a geoscientist. Free-response questionnaire items reveal themes related to inequity, inequality, privilege, community climate, sense of belonging, and geoscience identity. The results from this project align with previous research that suggests students that hold multiple marginalized identities may experience isolation and other unique barriers to persisting in geoscience and other STEM disciplines. Future research and projects focused on underrepresented gender and sexual identities will help geoscience educators formulate more inclusive learning/work environments in support of diversifying the geoscience community and STEM workforce.
This special issue on Finding a Place to Belong: University Students, Academic Structures and the Processes of Integration contains nine papers on opportunities of belonging and highlights the cultivation of belonging as a fundamental for addressing inequality and inequity in a linguistically and culturally diverse higher education context. Here, belonging challenges the dominant university ideology, which can elude the marginalised or underserved student and staff groups of learning communities. The combination of individual/group agency and identity negotiation for developing and implementing enablers of belonging reveals the challenges and complexity of deconstructing belonging. The papers focus on the barriers and opportunities of belonging and the interaction of agency and enablers of belonging, such as equitable vision, policy, programmes and commitment, as a product of belonging. Keywords: Deconstructing Belonging Opportunities Barriers Transformation Multiple Identities Multiple Belongings
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.