Relationship between Course-Level Social Belonging (Sense of Belonging and Belonging Uncertainty) and Academic Performance in General Chemistry 1

Author(s):  
Joshua D. Edwards ◽  
Ramón S. Barthelemy ◽  
Regina F. Frey
2020 ◽  
pp. 014616722093648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susie Chen ◽  
Kevin R. Binning ◽  
Kody J. Manke ◽  
Shannon T. Brady ◽  
Erica M. McGreevy ◽  
...  

Identifying as a “science person” is predictive of science success, but the mechanisms involved are not well-understood. We hypothesized that science identity predicts success because it fosters a sense of belonging in science classrooms. Thus, science identity should be particularly important for first-generation and racial-minority students, who may harbor doubts about belonging in science. Two field studies in college Introductory Biology classes ( Ns = 368, 639) supported these hypotheses. A strong science identity predicted higher grades, particularly for minority students. Also consistent with hypotheses, Study 2 found that self-reported belonging in college mediated the relationship between science identity and performance. Furthermore, a social belonging manipulation eliminated the relationship between science identity and performance among minority students. These results support the idea that a strong science identity is particularly beneficial for minority students because it bolsters belonging in science courses. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.


Author(s):  
Ilze Koroļeva

Abstract Building on the data from The Emigrant Communities of Latvia survey, this chapter aims to reveal and describe the complex nature of the sense of geographic and social belonging of those who became emigrants. It will explore the factors affecting the maintenance of their identity and consider transformation processes among migrants. The starting point of this chapter is the assumption that the ‘sense of belonging’ is affected by a variety of different objective and subjective factors, and that identity is multi-faceted. Instead of facing a trade-off between feeling close to the home country or host country, or developing a supranational identity, different combinations of types of a ‘sense of belonging’ can be distinguished among Latvian migrants. Using cluster analysis, the author distinguishes four separate groups of emigrants based on their attitudes and self-identification. Among the findings is that most respondents feel closer to Latvia than their host country. However, people who left Latvia during the years of the Great Recession and its aftermath, and who left for economic reasons, are the most alienated from their home country. Among the factors important in shaping this sense of belonging are subjective life satisfaction and having friends and family back at home.


Author(s):  
Janet Waithira Gatere ◽  
Prof. J. Kanjogu Kiumi ◽  
Dr. Margaret Ngugi

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of selected school based factors on girls’ participation rate in public day secondary schools in Naivasha Sub-County, Kenya. Ex-post facto research design was used in the study. A total of 130 respondents (constituting 26 principals and 104 teachers) from 26 schools were randomly sampled for the study. All the targeted respondents participated in the study giving a response rate of 100%. Simple random sampling technique was used to sample the respondents for the study. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire where two sets of questionnaires were developed for data collection; one for principals and the other for class teachers. Descriptive statistics such as means, percentages and frequencies were used to analyze the data while inferential statistics such as simple regression analysis was used to determine the predictive power of school based factors on girls’ participation in school. The study found that three school-level risk factors that had the most negative impact on girls rate of participation in public day secondary schools in the sub-county were: low sense of belonging among girls to their schools, inadequate counseling of girls in schools and low academic performance. Drawing from the computed R2 value (R2 = .426), the study revealed that the selected school level factors were lowering the rate of girls participation in public day secondary schools by almost 43%. The study concluded that that school level factors such as: low sense of belonging among girls to their schools, inadequate counseling of girls in schools and low academic performance had a negative influence on girls’ rate of participation in public day secondary schools in Naivasha Sub-county. It was recommended that public day secondary school educators, specifically principals, counselors and teachers should focus their attention enhancing girls’ participation rate in their schools.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-106
Author(s):  
Warren Lake ◽  
Hanabeth Luke ◽  
Bill Boyd

Student perceptions of their studies and learning are important influencers of academic performance and outcome. Here we find that the grades students anticipate obtaining may differ significantly from grades awarded: students’ perceptions of their studies appear to be at odds with the university’s assessment of their academic worth. A previous study introduced students to the concept of self-efficacy and its effects on academic performance and outcome; we demonstrate that students’ self-efficacy can be raised. Importantly, the focus is not on the validity of the concept of self-efficacy as the guiding or defining principle in this research, but rather a means to potentially identify important student perceptions that may influence academic performance. Moreover, the effect, emphasises a mismatch between student and university expectations of the measure of achievement: students overestimate their anticipated grades against grades awarded. By encouraging improved self-efficacy are we emphasising differences between anticipated and awarded grades? Are we diminishing the student’s sense of achievement and therefore negatively impacting on student performance? To resolve this, in this study we shift the focus from the purely analytical analysis of the impact of self-efficacy and highlight assumptions of the primacy of grades as signifier of academic success. Academic success is motivated by a desire for learning as much as for good grades. Furthermore, a student’s academic success reflects a complex of socio-personal influences. These perspectives allow the effects of improved self-efficacy to be formative in the student’s maturing sense of belonging within education. The survey and concept of self-efficacy is now better understood as the vehicle for improved experiences of learning, becoming potent drivers of student success.


Author(s):  
Glenn M. Davis ◽  
Melissa B. Hanzsek-Brill ◽  
Mark Carl Petzold ◽  
David H. Robinson

Educational institutions increasingly recognize the role that student belonging plays in retention. Many studies in this area focus on helping students improve a sense of belonging before they matriculate or identifying belonging as a reason for their departure. This study measures students’ sense of belonging at key transition points during the first year and finds that social belonging and academic performance are both strong predictors of retention that are not necessarily correlated. These results suggest that a comprehensive, focused outreach protocol that encompasses both social and academic factors could have a positive impact on student persistence.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Langenkamp

While social pluralism and diversity are important characteristics of functioning democracies, civil society and democratic institutions require citizens to feel as an integral part of society in order to function. This stems from a general sense of belonging as well as a mutual understanding of citizens that institutions and other members of society are trustworthy. While objective aspects of social embeddedness, i.e. organizational membership and inter-relational contact, are established predictors of these outcomes, perceived loneliness is rarely investigated. This study investigates whether changes in loneliness reduce levels of perceived belonging and political and interpersonal trust believes. By analysing 12 waves of panel data from the Netherlands gathered between 2008 and 2020 (n= 41,508), the analysis shows that intra-personal variation in loneliness predicts citizen`s sense of belonging and interpersonal trust believes. Regarding political trust, the relationship cannot be found with panel fixed effect.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1042-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Fink ◽  
Regina F. Frey ◽  
Erin D. Solomon

Feeling a sense of belonging in a learning environment can have positive effects on student success. The impact of this psychosocial variable on undergraduates’ achievement and retention has been demonstrated in STEM disciplines, especially for women within physical sciences where large disparities in gender representation persist. The current study explores the relationship between belonging and student success in undergraduate chemistry, where greater gender parity has recently emerged. In particular, this research investigates the belonging of first-year students enrolled in a two-semester General Chemistry course sequence. The study begins by examining whether students’ early sense of belonging in the course, indexed by two survey measures (perceived belonging, belonging uncertainty) varies depending on their demographics and academic preparation. The belonging measures are then used as predictors of performance in General Chemistry 1 and 2 and attrition from one semester to the next. Paralleling research in other STEM disciplines, the results show that female students, especially those from underrepresented minority groups, reported lower belonging and higher uncertainty than male students within the first weeks of the course. After accounting for demographics, preparation, and participation in a course supplemental program, the belonging measures predicted performance and attrition for all students. These findings suggest that course-level belonging in General Chemistry can have practical consequences for student success, and early disparities in belonging may have downstream effects on the retention of women and other groups underrepresented in STEM. Strategies for creating an inclusive and engaging environment that supports the success of all students are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 846-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia A. Stanich ◽  
Michael A. Pelch ◽  
Elli J. Theobald ◽  
Scott Freeman

To help students who traditionally underperform in general chemistry, we created a supplementary instruction (SI) course and called it the STEM-Dawgs Workshops. These workshops are an extension of the Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) SI. In addition to peer-facilitated problem-solving, we incorporated two components inspired by learning sciences: (1) training in research-based study skills, and (2) evidence-based interventions targeting psychological and emotional support. Here we use an explanatory mixed methods approach to measure the impact of the STEM-Dawgs Workshops, with a focus on four sub-populations that are historically underrepresented in Chemistry: underrepresented minorities, females, low-income students, and first-generation students. Specifically, we compared three groups of students in the same General Chemistry course: students in general chemistry and not the workshops (“Gen Chem students”), students in the workshops (“STEM-Dawgs”), and students who volunteered for the workshops but did not get in (“Volunteers”). We tested hypotheses with regression models and conducted a series of focus group interviews with STEM-Dawgs. Compared to the Gen Chem population, the STEM-Dawg and Volunteer populations were enriched with students in all four under-represented sub-populations. Compared to Volunteers, STEM-Dawgs had increased exam scores, sense of belonging, perception of relevance, self-efficacy, and emotional satisfaction about chemistry. URM STEM-Dawgs had lower failure rates, and exam score achievement gaps that impacted first-generation and female Gen Chem students were eliminated in the STEM-Dawg population. Finally, female STEM-Dawgs had an increased sense of belonging and higher emotional satisfaction about chemistry than women Volunteers. Focus groups suggested that successes came in part from the supportive peer-learning environment and the relationships with peer facilitators. Together, our results indicate that this supplementary instruction model can raise achievement and improve affect for students who are underrepresented in chemistry.


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