Sense of Belonging and Underlying Concerns in Large Enrollment General Chemistry Courses

This study investigates sense of belonging in three general chemistry courses at a large Hispanic-Serving research university. Data were collected from 440 students across two semesters through surveys that included Likert-type and open-ended questions, of which 170 students responded to the open-ended question. Frequency counts were used to analyze data from the closed-ended questions, while thematic analysis was employed for the data from the open-ended question. Most students agreed with statements reflecting comfort with classmates, comfort with instructors, and belonging when performance is set aside. However, a relatively lower proportion of agreement was observed regarding their sense of academic fit. The number of students with high belonging uncertainty was also higher than the number of students with low belonging uncertainty. In addition, students’ sense of belonging was found to be associated with Preparation and Performance, Academics, Learning Environment, and Interests and Goals. Notably, Preparation and Performance and Learning Environment appeared to be more concerning for students with high belonging uncertainty across all courses. The results are discussed in the context of existing literature, leading to essential implications.