An Intersectional Examination of Undergraduate Students’ Perceived Institutional Support, Belonging, and Achievement in STEM

• In Event: Building Inclusive STEM Communities: Equity, Belonging, and Advocacy for Underrepresented Students

Abstract

Support from faculty and staff is crucial to the academic success of undergraduate students (Tinto, 2010). More specifically, institutional support may bolster student sense of belonging in STEM, which in turn, may influence student achievement in STEM. Support may be particularly important for students who are underrepresented in the STEM fields (Walton & Cohen, 2007; Barbieri & Miller-Cotto, 2021). The study examines the relations of students’ perceptions of institutional support, belonging, and achievement among first-year undergraduate STEM students using an intersectional lens. Findings suggest that institutional support predicts belonging and GPA. Gender and race/ethnicity moderate the links between out-of-class engagement and GPA. This study has important implications for universities and how they can offer support to undergraduate students in STEM.

Authors

• Allison M. French, University of Wisconsin - Superior

• Shuyan Sun, University of Maryland - Baltimore County