“They Accept Me Fully”: Belongingness and College Adjustment
Mentor 1
Dr. Jacqueline Nguyen
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 10:30 AM
End Date
24-4-2015 11:45 AM
Description
Belongingness is an important indicator of academic and social integration into campus culture during the college adjustment process (Cabrera et al., 1999) and impacts stress and academic outcomes (Smedley et al., 1993; Tinto, 1993). It is particularly salient for ethnic minority students, for whom campus integration opportunities may be limited (Chavous, 2002). Despite its relationship to psychosocial outcomes, belongingness remains an ill-defined construct that merits greater examination. The aim of this multiphasic, mixed-methods study is to define the nature of belongingness and operationalize the construct to inform developmental theory of emerging adulthood and to benefit post-secondary institutions interested in issues of student retention. / / Phase I participants were ethnic minority graduating seniors from two institutions in the same Midwestern state: University A, a public institution in a large urban city (n=6), or University B, a small-town liberal arts college. Retrospective semi-structured, individual interviews on belongingness, inclusion, and exclusion on campus were conducted. Data were coded by domain (e.g., academic, social) and by reasons (e.g., ethnic identity, achievement/inadequacy). A survey assessed campus membership (Goodenow, 1993), ethnic academic identity integration (Walker & Syed, 2013), and minority status stress (Smedley et al, 1993). Belongingness was described as achievement of social or academic identities and varied by institutional context. University A participants discussed a sense of belongingness derived from achievement of an academic identity. / / Phase II will further examine belongingness at University A. Seven months of data, from the start of the academic year, will be drawn for observation from a public Facebook page on which students anonymously post any questions/comments to peers pertaining to the University. The de-identified data will be coded using a similar coding scheme from Phase I: first for domains of belongingness (psychological/developmental, social, and academic), then for the nature of the post (positive or negative) and post engagement (how many likes, and how many comments were posted). Analyses will be conducted to determine the domains and topics most salient to the University A student body. / We predict most posts will focus on social belonging which facilitates academic achievement and psychological development (Meeuwise & Severiens, 2010; Nguyen et al., 2015). / / The results of this study can inform campuses how students achieve a sense of belonging and how campuses to ensure better environments for students to obtain a sense of belonging, higher academic achievement and retention (Meeuwise & Severiens, 2010; Robbins, Oh, Le, & Button, 2009). / Belongingness is an important indicator of academic and social integration into campus culture during the college adjustment process (Cabrera et al., 1999) and impacts stress and academic outcomes (Smedley et al., 1993; Tinto, 1993). It is particularly salient for ethnic minority students, for whom campus integration opportunities may be limited (Chavous, 2002). Despite its relationship to psychosocial outcomes, belongingness remains an ill-defined construct that merits greater examination. The aim of this multiphasic, mixed-methods study is to define the nature of belongingness and operationalize the construct to inform developmental theory of emerging adulthood and to benefit post-secondary institutions interested in issues o
“They Accept Me Fully”: Belongingness and College Adjustment
Union Wisconsin Room
Belongingness is an important indicator of academic and social integration into campus culture during the college adjustment process (Cabrera et al., 1999) and impacts stress and academic outcomes (Smedley et al., 1993; Tinto, 1993). It is particularly salient for ethnic minority students, for whom campus integration opportunities may be limited (Chavous, 2002). Despite its relationship to psychosocial outcomes, belongingness remains an ill-defined construct that merits greater examination. The aim of this multiphasic, mixed-methods study is to define the nature of belongingness and operationalize the construct to inform developmental theory of emerging adulthood and to benefit post-secondary institutions interested in issues of student retention. / / Phase I participants were ethnic minority graduating seniors from two institutions in the same Midwestern state: University A, a public institution in a large urban city (n=6), or University B, a small-town liberal arts college. Retrospective semi-structured, individual interviews on belongingness, inclusion, and exclusion on campus were conducted. Data were coded by domain (e.g., academic, social) and by reasons (e.g., ethnic identity, achievement/inadequacy). A survey assessed campus membership (Goodenow, 1993), ethnic academic identity integration (Walker & Syed, 2013), and minority status stress (Smedley et al, 1993). Belongingness was described as achievement of social or academic identities and varied by institutional context. University A participants discussed a sense of belongingness derived from achievement of an academic identity. / / Phase II will further examine belongingness at University A. Seven months of data, from the start of the academic year, will be drawn for observation from a public Facebook page on which students anonymously post any questions/comments to peers pertaining to the University. The de-identified data will be coded using a similar coding scheme from Phase I: first for domains of belongingness (psychological/developmental, social, and academic), then for the nature of the post (positive or negative) and post engagement (how many likes, and how many comments were posted). Analyses will be conducted to determine the domains and topics most salient to the University A student body. / We predict most posts will focus on social belonging which facilitates academic achievement and psychological development (Meeuwise & Severiens, 2010; Nguyen et al., 2015). / / The results of this study can inform campuses how students achieve a sense of belonging and how campuses to ensure better environments for students to obtain a sense of belonging, higher academic achievement and retention (Meeuwise & Severiens, 2010; Robbins, Oh, Le, & Button, 2009). / Belongingness is an important indicator of academic and social integration into campus culture during the college adjustment process (Cabrera et al., 1999) and impacts stress and academic outcomes (Smedley et al., 1993; Tinto, 1993). It is particularly salient for ethnic minority students, for whom campus integration opportunities may be limited (Chavous, 2002). Despite its relationship to psychosocial outcomes, belongingness remains an ill-defined construct that merits greater examination. The aim of this multiphasic, mixed-methods study is to define the nature of belongingness and operationalize the construct to inform developmental theory of emerging adulthood and to benefit post-secondary institutions interested in issues o
