Qualitative research shows marginalized students' sense of belonging depends on maintaining connections to their valued identities at school (self-concept fit)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Qualitative studies with students of color, working-class students, and other marginalized groups find belonging depends on whether school environments support enactment of valued identities, not solely on social connections. → Alexander S. Browman 2025

Evidence¶

Alexander S. Browman 2025¶

Alexander S. Browman. (2025). Centering Social Fit, Self-Concept Fit, Goal Fit, and Resource Fit as Core Elements of Students' Experiences of Belonging at School. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10009-3

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review's synthesis of qualitative studies (e.g., Faircloth 2009 with ethnically diverse ninth-graders; Matthews et al. 2021 with Black and Latinx fifth- through twelfth-graders; Bettencourt 2021 and Fernández et al. 2023 with working-class university students) concludes "students, including those from a number of systematically marginalized groups" report belonging hinges on identity connection. One student stated, "In order to 'make it' at this school, I would have to dress differently and be someone that I'm not."

"students, including those from a number of systematically marginalized groups, are more likely to feel like they belong at their school when they feel able to maintain connections to their most valued identities or selves, both in the classroom and in the school environment more generally."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Identity — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Belonging is multi-faceted and context-dependent, with different expressions (group membership, momentary feeling, durable sense) often conflated in research — related
• Collaborative pedagogies such as problem- and project-based learning are more likely to promote students' sense of belonging than lecture-based pedagogies, but effects depend on the group's attributes — related
• Qualitative research shows resource fit—safety and financial resources—shapes marginalized students' sense of belonging — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Daily diary evidence links lower daily self-concept fit to stronger same-day mental burnout and concerns about academic abilities — related
• Students who remain in STEM majors report greater sense of belonging than leavers, and lack of science identity distinguishes leavers — related
• Racially marginalized students are less likely to report a sense of belonging in STEM education — related
• Learning happens best when students feel a sense of belonging, while alienation and exclusion create cognitive barriers — a broader claim this one bears on
• A regional collective initiative (Teaching is My Favorite Color) provided teachers of color a safe space, belonging, and authentic identity expression — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Racism has negative psychological implications for Black students' sense of belonging, self-identity, and academic success in schools — related
• Representation in the sub-discipline relates to belonging: women of color in pSTEM report belonging less frequently than white men — related
• Female STEM majors report significantly lower sense of belonging than male majors — related
• Strength-based learning groups support educators to create equitable learning environments for economically marginalized students — related