What matters to students’ sense of belonging?

Belonging is difficult to quantify. We can measure progress toward equity through initiatives that remove barriers and broaden participation from members of diverse groups. Diversity reflects human differences, while inclusion is often measured through participation statistics. Belonging, however, goes beyond mere participation; it encompasses authentic self-expression, meaningful contributions and recognition of one’s value. This deeper level of inclusion reflects genuine belonging, not tokenism. Fostering belonging is crucial for achieving true equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It is essential, therefore, for belonging to be the foundation of EDI initiatives, rather than merely an outcome.

What is belonging?

Students’ backgrounds define the diversity within a population, and initiatives to increase participation and provide unique opportunities to students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education are central to equity. Inclusion involves inviting students to engage in discussions to improve their learning experiences (eg, through feedback and student-staff partnership forums). A sense of belonging goes further. It empowers students to shape and co-create their learning experiences, fostering environments where students can be authentic, their voices centred, their contributions valued and their worth recognised.

An effective way to foster belonging is by addressing key influencing factors:

Inclusion of intersectional identities 

Addressing belonging through an intersectionality lens can aid in understanding how the intersections of social identities contribute to students’ experiences of exclusion and otherness. This requires intersectional approaches to curriculum design that not only apply pedagogical principles of inclusion by design but also encompass responsible learner-educator partnerships to ensure relevant and adequate representations of student populations. A continuous and sustained student-centred partnership should promote both co-creation and consultation with diverse student populations in the design of teaching and learning materials. 

Through co-creation, students can proactively contribute to diversifying reading lists and learning resources to showcase and improve the representation of various communities, cultures or countries. It can also help with the design of authentic assessments that are relevant to students’ identities and inspirations. 

Consultations would involve feedback gathering to assess students’ views on how their identities and lived experiences are reflected in their learning activities and environment. These can be formal (ie, focus groups, questioners and interviews) or informal (ie, polls, Post-it notes and conceptual mapping). 

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Formation of disciplinary identity  

The correlation between students’ experiences of belonging and the development of a discipline-specific identity has been documented in Camille Kandiko Howson and Martyn Kingsbury’s Belonging and Identity in STEM Higher Education. While self-identification forms the foundation of disciplinary identity, external recognition and validation from professionals and peers within the field are equally critical in reinforcing this sense of belonging and affiliation, research suggests. External validation an engineering student receives, such as positive feedback for problem-solving in group projects or being invited to present at a conference, not only reinforces their self-concept as an engineer but also strengthens their sense of affiliation with the engineering community, motivating them to continue pursuing their study of the discipline.

Prioritising this process is crucial, as disciplinary identity not only deepens students’ understanding of their field but also fosters a sense of belonging and purpose within it, which is integral to enhancing overall student success.

This can be best achieved through authentic learning, which contextualises the discipline’s relevance by connecting the curriculum to real-world applications and demonstrating the discipline’s contributions to addressing global challenges – for instance, showcasing how engineering innovations and technological advancements contribute to improving quality of life and advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Such an approach is essential for helping students to grasp disciplinary knowledge and emphasising its practical applications and broader implications. This enables students to envision the potential impact they can make within their field.

Building a discipline-specific identity also involves exposing students to the discipline’s environment through experiences like shadowing, in-person or immersive virtual field trips, internships, and engagement with experts, including external speakers and alumni from diverse backgrounds.

Decolonial approach

Decolonisation ensures students see their heritage and background represented in their education. Diversification is often promoted through responsible and meaningful co-creation, where students actively participate in shaping the content of their learning. While diversification plays a vital role, adopting a decolonial mindset is essential to the decolonisation process. A decolonial mindset actively challenges existing power dynamics and structures, seeking to redistribute power in ways that provide opportunities for marginalised groups and elevate previously suppressed voices. 

At its core, this approach fosters critical consciousness by creating learning opportunities that encourage students to question dominant ways of knowing. It invites marginalised perspectives into academic discourse and prompts students to interrogate how knowledge production is shaped by power. This process involves critically examining who determines what is considered “valid” knowledge and recognising how these decisions often marginalise or exclude the contributions of minoritised scholars and communities. 

Examples of this could include exploring how Indigenous knowledge systems, such as solar thermal cooking and water management, contribute to sustainable engineering; youth involvement in energy transitions; societal impacts of fossil fuel phase-outs; and ethical concerns surrounding rare earth material use in renewables.

Furthermore, a decolonial mindset promotes storytelling, offering opportunities to capture and feature students’ narratives through co-curricular, intracurricular or extracurricular activities. Most importantly, it recognises and nurtures responsible power dynamics by acknowledging and rewarding the efforts of individuals working to create a decolonial learning environment. This is crucial, as these individuals are often underrepresented within traditional power structures, yet they play a key role in creating more inclusive educational experiences for students who relate to their lived experiences.

Prioritisation of equity over diversity 

Shifting the emphasis from diversity to equity is crucial for fostering a genuine sense of belonging while eradicating tokenism and imposed diversity practices. While diversity efforts often focus on representation, prioritising equity addresses the underlying barriers that hinder meaningful inclusion and, therefore, belonging. 

This requires a commitment to an inclusive culture that meets the needs of students and staff across access (eg, inclusive admissions and recruitment), progression (eg, effective support systems, equal access to opportunities), and retention (eg, reducing awarding and promotion gaps). This way, we can create an environment where individuals feel empowered to thrive, ultimately improving engagement, productivity and retention. When people feel they belong and their contributions are valued, we build a thriving, dynamic community that attracts diverse talent. As a result, diversity becomes a natural by-product.

Salma Al Arefi is a lecturer in engineering education at the University of Leeds’ School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. 

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