Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 1:00 PM
Subjects
Education, Belonging (Social psychology)
Advisor
Erin Shortlidge
Student Level
Undergraduate
Abstract
Enhancing belonging in undergraduate STEM classrooms are pivotal for student success. This study examines a belonging exercise's implementation and impact in multiple STEM courses from 2017 to 2019. Faculty perspectives were gathered from a survey of 92 respondents, indicating a high level of perceived benefit (92%). Coded responses highlighted shared experiences and diversity mindset promotion. 30% explicitly mentioned benefits for both students and instructors. Additionally, 76% of faculty saw potential of belonging exercises in their own classrooms. It is important to promote using belonging interventions and also understand how STEM students perceive their value and utility. Three focus groups with PSU STEM students were designed and conducted. Students shared their perceptions of campus belonging. Following this, they reviewed the OLL exercise plus original data. Finally, they were presented with faculty responses, and asked to share their opinions and reactions (i.e. surprised, dismayed, or in agreement with the faculty responses). Collected responses from the focus groups were coded for analysis. Our goal was to understand how STEM students value belonging interventions and to acquire qualitative data to understand students' views and contradictions regarding the current system and their belief in greater success and persistence with a stronger sense of belonging.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41858
Included in
STEM Students and Faculty See Value in a Classroom Belonging Exercise
Enhancing belonging in undergraduate STEM classrooms are pivotal for student success. This study examines a belonging exercise's implementation and impact in multiple STEM courses from 2017 to 2019. Faculty perspectives were gathered from a survey of 92 respondents, indicating a high level of perceived benefit (92%). Coded responses highlighted shared experiences and diversity mindset promotion. 30% explicitly mentioned benefits for both students and instructors. Additionally, 76% of faculty saw potential of belonging exercises in their own classrooms. It is important to promote using belonging interventions and also understand how STEM students perceive their value and utility. Three focus groups with PSU STEM students were designed and conducted. Students shared their perceptions of campus belonging. Following this, they reviewed the OLL exercise plus original data. Finally, they were presented with faculty responses, and asked to share their opinions and reactions (i.e. surprised, dismayed, or in agreement with the faculty responses). Collected responses from the focus groups were coded for analysis. Our goal was to understand how STEM students value belonging interventions and to acquire qualitative data to understand students' views and contradictions regarding the current system and their belief in greater success and persistence with a stronger sense of belonging.