Factors Associated with STEM Students' Sense of Belonging

Students who feel a greater belonging to their university and department are significantly more likely to complete a degree. As such, it is important to examine what factors may contribute to sense of belonging in students from STEM disciplines, such as their demographics, values, and experiences. In spring 2021 and 2022, the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) Teaching and Learning Center collected data through online exit surveys from 1208 graduating students from 10 STEM departments (Astronomy, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Biology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science, Entomology, Geology, Mathematics, Physics) at a research-intensive university on the east coast. Students were asked about the extent to which they valued specific cross-disciplinary skills (e.g., group-work, writing, data application), the proportion of their courses that utilized certain teaching practices (e.g., lecturing, writing assignments, group work), and the degree to which they felt a sense of belonging to their discipline. Multiple linear regression was used to identify student characteristics, values, and experiences that significantly affected student sense of belonging to their specific discipline. Additionally, we interviewed students from each discipline to contextualize and elaborate upon survey responses. Analyses identified differing factors as predictive of sense of belonging for each discipline. Interview data revealed being able to connect with peers promoted belonging, while feeling that classes were unnecessarily challenging (e.g., weed-out courses) and doubting their own abilities (e.g., imposter syndrome) decreased students' sense of belonging.