Exploring Academic Help-Seeking and Belonging Among Multipy-Marginalized Undergraduate Students Using PVEST (Phenomenological Variant Ecological Systems Theory)

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Race- and Culture-Informed Approaches to Motivation Research (Table 1)

Abstract

Academic help-seeking (AHS) is a critical self-regulatory strategy that involves reaching out to others for educational support. Given the social nature of AHS, students’ sense of belonging has been shown to support their help-seeking behaviors. However, the lack of belonging opportunity structures for historically marginalized students in higher education means their help-seeking behaviors in academic spaces may be hindered. The present study takes a qualitative phenomenological approach to exploring the interplay of AHS and belonging for multiply marginalized undergraduate students. We adapt the PVEST framework and integrate belonging opportunity structures to understand how students’ identities, AHS behaviors and beliefs, and perceptions of academic success interact in varying university contexts.

Authors

• Molly L. Taylor, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Sharon Zumbrunn, Virginia Commonwealth University