Jordan McQueen
Research Mentor: Chino Ekwueme
Mentor Department: Psychology, LSA
Author(s): Jordan McQueen, Chino Ekwueme
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 77
Abstract
Belonging is fundamental for students’ success, especially students working towards higher education. Research highlights that Black students experience lack of belonging at a disproportionate rate, especially in Predominantly White Institutions, which can negatively impact their commitment to and experience in higher education. Students who experience a lack of belonging often face more challenges with building community, academic performance, and often have feelings of isolation. Additionally, when measuring belonging, race and racial experiences are consistently overlooked. For this project, we investigated Black students’ experience of Belonging by conducting qualitative focus group interviews with Black students at the University of Michigan. The interviewees varied across gender, socioeconomic status, year in school, and academic departments within the University of Michigan. We utilized a qualitative coding method called thematic analysis to find themes in their testimonies. The goal of this research is to create a scale for measuring Black students’ sense of belonging. Multiple key themes were identified within student interviews. For Black students, belonging often forces actively seeking out student organizations or communities. However, additional research is required to develop a fully comprehensive scale for measuring belonging. In the future, this scale may be used to communicate potential practices for fostering belonging with Black students at Predominantly White Institutions.
