Anticipated Belonging in College: An Intervention to Increase College Access (Poster 67)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Eight
  In Poster Session: 2023 AERA Undergraduate Fellows Research Poster Fair

Abstract

"Purpose
Completion of a bachelor’s degree is associated with key life outcomes (Valletta, 2016). Yet there is a disparity in college-going behaviors (application, admission, and retention) between students from higher- and lower socioeconomic backgrounds (Wilbur & Roscigno, 2016). Many reasons contribute to those disparities, including whether high schoolers believe they are a good fit for college (termed anticipated college belonging). Student’s anticipated sense of belonging is associated with increased college-going behaviors (Patrick et al., 2007; Murphy & Zirkel, 2015). Thus, in our current study, we developed an intervention to increase low-SES high school students’ sense of anticipated college belonging, using a randomized experiment to assess the effect of the intervention on students’ anticipated college belonging and college-going plans.
Methods
In Fall 2022, we randomly assigned a group of majority low-SES high school students (N=124) to complete an intervention or control activity. In the intervention, students read stories from current college students that communicated how diverse backgrounds can be a strength in college. Students then responded to a survey of outcome measures, adapted from Stephens et al. (2018), to assess anticipated college belonging, appreciation of difference, academic motivation, and college-going plans. Measures will be collected in two surveys: one following the intervention in Fall 2022 and another in Spring 2023.
Findings and Next Steps
In the Fall 2022 survey, students in the intervention condition reported higher levels of anticipated college belonging (M= 5.06) than those in the control condition (M= 4.19), t(90)= 2.61, p= .011. The intervention condition also reported a higher appreciation of difference (M= 6.23) than the control condition (M= 5.51), t(76)= 2.74, p= .008. The longer-term intervention effects and students’ college-going plans will be assessed in Spring 2023. We expect the intervention condition students to report higher college application rates than those in the control."

Author

• Danika Strayhorn, Washington University in St. Louis
  Presenting Author