Exploring Sense of Belonging in General Chemistry Courses Through Student Reflections

Keila Muller, Camila Senespleda, Zamira Torres, Tamra Legron-Rodriguez

University of Central Florida

Predictors of student success and understanding, have long been sought after in Chemistry Education. Primary research found sense of belonging to be an indicator for student performance, predominantly in underrepresented groups. Researchers at a Hispanic-Serving Institution performed a mixed-method study, observing the progression of student sense of belonging among General Chemistry courses. The study included data from General Chemistry 1 and 2, to note the progression of sense of belonging along the Chemistry Education pathway. The study consisted of seven Likert-scale questions, and one free response question. Surveys were given at the beginning and end of the semester, along 3 consecutive semesters. Researchers also gathered student demographics of respondents. Researchers analyzed the quantitative values using a T-test assuming unequal variances and by finding frequencies among responses. Qualitative data was reviewed by multiple researchers, and developed into a codebook. The codebook highlighted common themes among student responses. Results showed a lower sense of belonging among female students compared to their male counterparts. Quantitative research also demonstrated a positive shift in sense of belonging as students progressed in their Chemistry courses. When looking at common themes of student sense of belonging, the research found that students Major, Goals and Performance to be a strong predictor in student sense of belonging. The research is ongoing, and aiming to observe students in advanced Chemistry courses, to determine the progression of sense of belonging.