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Student belongingness in higher education: lessons for professors from the COVID-19 pandemic

Version 2 2024-09-18, 23:30
Version 1 2023-05-21, 05:48
journal contribution
posted on 2024-09-18, 23:30 authored by D Tice, R Baumeister, Joseph CrawfordJoseph Crawford, K-A Allen, A Percy

‘To learn about X, observe what happens to the system when X is removed.’ What happens to the higher education student experience when, during a pandemic, so many of the avenues for building a sense of belonging are radically and fundamentally disrupted? How should we respond as individuals, a collective and a sector, to redress this? The national student survey data in Australia has highlighted a significant drop in learner engagement and their sense of belonging as a result of the pandemic. Indeed, the pandemic has been a significant point of anxiety for students, educators, and universities globally. We see the pandemic as a unique opportunity to critically examine belongingness among university students in a climate where their normal avenues to feel they belong need to establish a new kind of normal. In this article, we seek to articulate what can be learned from the pandemic experience about student belongingness and what instructors can do to improve it, even under difficult circumstances. We found opportunities to strengthen a students’ sense of belonging in online environments, when necessary, and how responses within the constraints of lockdown and emergency remote teaching can still support student success.

History

Publication title

Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice

Volume

18

Issue

4

Pagination

1-14

ISSN

1449-9789

Department/School

Office of DVC - Education

Publisher

University of Wollongong Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources

Publication status

  • Published

Place of publication

Australia

Rights statement

Copyright 2021 the journal

Socio-economic Objectives

280106 Expanding knowledge in commerce, management, tourism and services, 280121 Expanding knowledge in psychology, 280109 Expanding knowledge in education