Underrepresented racial and first-generation students systematically report fewer institutional belonging opportunities than white and continuing-generation peers¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2031: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Kroeper et al. (2025) found students from underrepresented racial and first-generation backgrounds systematically report fewer opportunities for belonging than their white and continuing-generation peers. → Royel M. Johnson 2026

Evidence¶

Royel M. Johnson 2026¶

Royel M. Johnson. (2026). Reframing Belonging in Higher Education: an Intersectional Ecological Model for Research, Policy, and Practice. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10104-5

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

The essay reports, citing Kroeper et al. (2025), a multi-campus study of institutional belonging affordances; the cited work also identifies in-group representation, inclusive campus cultures, supportive peer relationships, and affirming learning environments as institutional factors undergirding disparities.

"Kroeper et al. ( 2025) explore institutional belonging affordances across campuses, showing that students from underrepresented racial and first-gen backgrounds systematically report fewer opportunities for belonging than their white and continuing-generation peers."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A welcoming campus racial climate fosters African American students' sense of belonging and intent to continue enrollment in mostly White schools — related
• Belongingness is more strongly associated with academic achievement among marginalized students than among white students — related
• National racial violence significantly reduced belonging and confidence among Black and Latinx STEM students relative to white peers — related
• Black students experience a more hostile campus racial climate than other students of color in schools — related
• Campus symbols such as antebellum architecture signal belonging to White and high-SES students and unwelcomeness to marginalized students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Racially marginalized faculty self-report using inclusive pedagogy at slightly but significantly higher rates than White faculty — related
• Exceptionalism as a script of acceptance carries psychological costs for marginalized high-achieving students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• First-generation faculty role models increase first-generation students' university belonging — related