Unlocking a Path for Institutional Change: Identifying the Modes of Belonging of Women and Other Marginalized Students in University Mathematics

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a reciprocal act. Thus, every member of the community of practice (Wenger, 1998) has a role in fostering DEI in university mathematics, and more broadly in STEM learning spaces. In the body of the STEM literature, improving the discipline specific sense of belonging has been cited as an important factor for persistence. My dissertation research, which investigated the three modes of belonging (i.e., engagement, alignment, and imagination (Wenger, 1998)) of women and racially/ethnically minoritized students as they transitioned from secondary school to university mathematics, highlighted an inevitable institutional transformation in several different areas. Using narrative inquiry, I collected in-depth qualitative data from the voices of five women who majored in mathematics at a large public university, yielding nuanced insights. My inquiry revealed that these five women lacked a sense of belonging for several different reasons. Various restrictions in their engagement, alignment, and imagination modes of belonging accounted for the explanations. In this study, I am sharing the lived experiences of Sunny which were unique in understanding the role of student-faculty relationship on a career in mathematics. My findings indicated the need for support mechanisms such as professors who serve as mentors for a variety of community involvement activities, including opportunities for participation in research, as well as career advising for future careers in mathematics-related fields. Second, historically disadvantaged students in mathematics expressed a need for equitable instructional practices that recognize students' resources, respect their identities, and encourage their participation in mathematical learning spaces. Lastly, my findings suggest that constructing support mechanisms that target the needs of historically marginalized, first-generation college students, has the potential to improve overall students' sense of belonging in academic contexts. While investigating students' perceptions of their academic community, I aim to connect with professors who could serve as agents of change in addressing the emerging needs of diverse student groups.