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Stacey S. Souther, Cuyahoga Community College
Introduction
A student’s sense of belonging is powerful—in fact, the formation of relationships is one of the most significant determinants of student success. Academic belonging is multidimensional and includes both the normally construed social dimension as well as an often overlooked intellectual one (Rueda & Lowe Swift, 2024).
“In terms of college, sense of belonging refers to students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, and the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the campus community or others on campus such as faculty, staff, and peers” (Strayhorn, 2019, p.4).
Do students feel like they matter in your classroom? Are they accepted for who they are, and able to be their full self while learning? Are there strong relationships, including quality interactions, with both their classmates and their faculty? What we do in our classrooms is instrumental in shaping students’ sense of belonging, and it very well may impact whether students reach their educational goals. Students need to see themselves in the content of their courses. If they able to connect to the material presented, they will increase in their ability to process the importance of that material (i.e., “I just might need to use this material sometime” or “wow, this does affect my family/my life!”).
This article will explore the power of belonging and discuss inclusive teaching strategies that promote a sense of belonging to help all students thrive. The National Survey of Student Engagement (2020) found that “students’ sense of belonging is positively related to engagement and student development.” A first-year student majoring in Neuroscience and English (language and literature) from Bucknell University sums it up well saying that “the sense of community and belonging and the support you feel from both staff and students has been the most fulfilling.”
The Science Behind Belonging
The need to belong is a basic human motivator. Multiple theoretical frameworks support this claim. “Belonging as a developmental process is rooted in basic human needs to be safe and respected and to comfortably fit in as our authentic selves” (Vaccaro & Newman, 2022, p. 4).
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs presents a pyramid of five steps. The base of the pyramid focuses on safety and security needs as the bottom two steps, while self-esteem and self-actualization (i.e., your best self) are the top two. The middle step in this pyramid is love and belonging—including friendships, family relationships, and group connections—which suggests that one must first fulfill the need to belong before they can fulfill the needs of self-esteem and reach their best self.
Erikson’s psychosocial perspective considers the need of social interactions. Each life stage that a person goes through is impacted by previous life experiences and whether they have successfully fulfilled their earlier social needs. According to Erikson, adolescents and young adults must successfully navigate the stage of “Identity vs. Role Confusion.” As this timing is often when students attend college for the first time, a student’s sense of belonging may be significantly impacted as they work to form their identities. If students are experiencing confusion as to their role as a college student, they will struggle to find their sense of self at their institution. Creating an inclusive environment in your classroom will provide a safe place for students as they form their academic identity, and this sense of belonging will increase a student’s likelihood to complete their education (Vaccaro & Newman, 2022).
Unfortunately, diverse student populations often face barriers to feeling connected in the classroom and at their college. These student populations include in part socioeconomic status, first-generation students, minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, and LGBTQ+ students. Students who come from a working class or lower SES family will often experience less of a sense of belonging than peers who come from a higher SES family. In fact, these students are more likely to take time off school to work or to drop out. First-generation students often experience unique issues when adjusting to college. They have more difficulty navigating the expectations of higher education—often coming from lower SES families. This can lead to struggles with making friends and succeeding academically. Students in a racial and/or ethnic minority report a lower sense of belonging, especially when they attend an institution with a predominately white student population. Their lower levels of belonging correlate with poorer academic outcomes (Ellison & Braxton, 2022). In addition, LGBTQ+ college students often believe that the campus environment they are experiencing is more hostile compared to peers who are straight and cisgender. They report experiencing more instances of both microaggressions and verbal harassment. “In qualitative studies, LGBTQ+ students have indicated that campus and organizational environments impacted their sense of belonging” (Gano, 2022, p. 75). Negative and hostile campus environments often lead “to feeling isolated and disengaging from groups” (p. 75).
Strayhorn (2019) has documented how a sense of belonging influences academic performance, student retention, and engagement. Students who feel included are more motivated academically which leads to higher levels of retention, persistence, and overall student success. Thus, it is important that faculty prioritize a belonging-focused classroom.
Strategies for Inclusive and
Belonging-Focused Classrooms
A belonging-focused classroom does not materialize on its own. However, it is possible to utilize inclusive teaching strategies to build a community that will foster this need for a sense of belonging for all our students. It takes time, and some trial and error, to find strategies that fit well for your classroom and your student population.
Establishing Norms and Expectations: Begin to build a welcoming classroom with clear, inclusive ground rules that encourage respect and trust. Develop a “motivational syllabus” that is student-centered document and goes beyond only listing rules and policies. Use this document to create a sense of care and approachability by emphasizing collaboration, support, and the shared goal of student success (Harrington & Thomas, 2018). Consider allowing your class to help develop the ground rules for respectful engagement in the course. Including student voices in this process at the beginning of the semester indicates that each student has an important role and place in the class.
Relationship Building: It is important to create meaningful connections with and among students. Go beyond knowing your students’ names—make sure students know who is sitting next to them in the classroom (e.g., using name tents). Create meaningful connections with your students by including icebreakers and/or having students complete a welcome survey to learn more about them and their needs. Be transparent with your students and tell them about the importance of relationships for student success. Another strategy is to put students into teams where they regularly collaborate with one another to learn in the classroom. Provide opportunities for “team time,” prompting students to talk to one another about how their semester is going or even simply what they did over the weekend.
Classroom Environment: It is important to consider the physical classroom environment, whether in person or virtual. Arrive early to class to welcome each student as they arrive. Make the space welcoming by playing music or posting a favorite daily quote on the board or by sharing your screen. Explicitly tell your students that you are happy they are in class. When possible, consider the set-up of the room to promote student collaboration. Finally, when developing course content, ensure that your students are reflected in the examples provided in lectures and visual aids.
Active Learning and Collaboration: Another strategy to build community and a sense of belonging in the classroom is to structure activities that provide active learning and collaboration opportunities. Intersecting mini lectures with time for hands-on activities and interaction with classmates can increase student success in the classroom. Active learning techniques such as a think/pair/share (proving students with the opportunity to think about a topic individually and then again in a group before sharing out) or a jigsaw activity (dividing larger pieces of content into smaller pieces for students to learn about and then teach one another) provide the opportunity for students to both process the material and form connections (Howell Major et al., 2021).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Following the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) teaching framework will make your classroom accessible and engaging for all students, regardless of their needs and abilities. UDL is based on the following three main principles:
Multiple Means of Representation – Use multiple ways when presenting information (e.g., using videos, readings, visuals, or hands-on activities).
Multiple Means of Action and Expression – Provide options for students to show what they know (e.g., give multiple options for a course final project)
Multiple Means of Engagement – Encouraging student interest by connecting to real-life examples and creating supportive learning environments.
UDL supports inclusive teaching because it proactively plans for a range of student needs instead of trying to adapt later. It shifts the focus from "fixing" students to designing learning experiences that fit everyone (CAST, 2024).
Feedback and Monitoring: A final strategy to increase a sense of belonging in your classroom is to show to provide formative assessment opportunities. A formative assessment provides constructive feedback to students as they are learning course content. These low-stakes assessments demonstrate care for students and a commitment to their success in the course. In addition, increase belonging by building time into your course to check in with how your students are doing and using student surveys to learn what is working working and what might not be as effective as you think. Consider giving students exit tickets, where they anonymously answer provided prompts before leaving class for the day.
Conclusion
A sense of belonging is critical to student success (Strayhorn, 2019), and a sense of belonging in your classroom can change the trajectory for a student’s success. Foster a sense of belonging for all students by experimenting with and implementing inclusive strategies that foster a sense of connection and engagement for all students. Choose from the following inclusive strategies to begin your journey:
Establishing Norms and Expectations: Create a warm syllabus and develop collective ground rules.
Relationship Building: Utilize name tags, ice breakers, and team time.
Classroom Environment: Welcome your students, play music, and consider the room setup.
Active Learning and Collaboration: Give mini lectures with think/pair/shares and jigsaw classroom activities.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Follow the principles of Multiple Means of Representation, Action and Expression, and Engagement.
Feedback and Monitoring: Provide formative assessments, check in regularly, and collect exit tickets.
Even small changes in classroom practices can being the process of prioritizing belonging in the classroom. Prioritize the power of belonging and enhance your students’ success using inclusive teaching strategies.
Discussion Questions
How do you currently assess students' sense of belonging in your classroom, and what strategies could you implement to improve it based on the inclusive teaching strategies discussed in the article?
In what ways do you think fostering a sense of belonging in the classroom can help mitigate challenges faced by first-generation, low-SES, and underrepresented students? Can you identify specific barriers these groups face at your institution?
Considering the diverse needs of students, how can Universal Design for Learning (UDL) be integrated into your teaching practices to create a more inclusive environment? Which UDL principles do you think would have the most immediate impact in your classroom?
References
CAST (2025, January 20). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org
Ellison, B., & Braxton, J.M. (2022). Reviewing, theorizing, and looking ahead: The relationship between college students’ sense of belonging and persistence. In E. M. Bentrim & G. W. Henning (Eds.), The impact of a sense of belonging in college: Implications for student persistence, retention, and success (pp. 35 -56). Stylus.
Gano, B. C. (2022). How and where do queer- and trans-spectrum college students experience belonging? The impact of a sense of belonging in college: Implications for student persistence, retention, and success (pp. 72 -83). Stylus.
Harrington, C., & Thomas, M. (2018). Designing a motivational syllabus: Creating a learning path for student engagement. Routledge.
Howell Major, C., Harris, M. S., & Zakrajsek, T. D. (2021). Teaching for learning: 101 Intentionally designed educational activities to put students on the path to success. Routledge.
National Survey of Student Engagement. (2025, January 20). Sense of belonging: Building a Sense of Community for All. Evidence-Based Improvement in Higher Education. https://nsse.indiana.edu/research/annual-results/2020/belonging-story/index.html
Rueda, E., & Lowe Swift, C. (2024). Introduction. In E. Rueda & C. Lowe Swift (Eds.), Academic belonging in higher education: Fostering student connection, competence, and confidence (pp. 1 -12). Routledge.
Strayhorn, T. L. (2019). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Vaccaro, A., & Newman, B. (2022). Theoretical foundations for sense of belonging in college. In E. M. Bentrim & G. W. Henning (Eds.), The impact of a sense of belonging in college: Implications for student persistence, retention, and success (pp. 3-20). Stylus.
About the Author
