Leadership Experiences and Belonging: A Structural Equation Model Across Gender Identity Groups

• In Event: Responding to the Void: QuantCrit Analyses of Queer and Trans Outcomes across Four Large-Scale Surveys

Abstract

Purpose
The previous decade has seen a surge in research about college students’ sense of belonging on campus (Strayhorn, 2012; Strayhorn, 2018). Some research, including Vaccaro and Newman (2016), has sought to understand the differences in sense of belonging across identity. Less research, however, has been dedicated to understanding the experiences of transgender college students – including those who identify within and outside of the gender binary (Beemyn et al., 2005; Nicolazzo, 2017; Renn 2010). Additionally, very little research has been done around trans students leadership development and practices (Jourian, 2014). This study seeks to fill some of that gap by utilizing the MLS 2021 dataset to answer the following:
• What is the structural relationship between leadership experiences, leadership confidence, and sense of belonging among collegians, and do these relationships differ between transgender students and their peers?

Theoretical Framework
This study draws on two theoretical frameworks to form its theory of action. Vaccaro and Newman’s (2016) Sense of Belonging for Privileged and Minoritized Students explores how students make meaning of environmental perceptions, involvement, and relationships to form their sense of belonging on campus – specifically highlighting the differences between privileged and minoritized students. Jourian’s (2014) Conceptual Framework for Trans Authentic Leadership examines the intersections between diverse gender identity and the traditional authentic leadership framework. Given this literature, we anticipate diverging findings for trans and non-trans students leadership confidence, leadership experiences, and how those influence their sense of belonging.

Methods
This study uses a sample of 33,931 college students from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL:2021). We used structural equation modeling in Stata with maximum likelihood estimation to handle missing data to explore significant pathways among leadership experience, leadership confidence, and sense of belonging (Figure 1). Fit indices confirm excellent model fit: CFI = 0.955, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.048 (90% CI: 0.047 - 0.049) (Hu & Bentler, 1999).

Results
Results showed that leadership experiences positively predicted both leadership confidence (β = 0.345, p < .001) and belonging (β = 0.181, p < .001) for non-transgender students. Among transgender students, these effects were notably stronger for both leadership confidence (β = 0.985, p < .001) and belonging (β = 1.186, p < .001). However, the effect of leadership confidence on belonging was positive for non-transgender students (β = 0.235, p < .001) but nonsignificant for transgender students (β = -0.164, p = .279). This may suggest that leadership confidence may not translate into social inclusion or affirmation for transgender students.

Scholarly Significance
This study contributes to the growing literature on transgender student experiences by highlighting the distinct ways leadership engagement influences belonging and leadership confidence. Findings suggest that leadership experiences may serve as a critical pathway to fostering institutional connection, particularly for transgender students. However, the nonsignificant link between leadership confidence and sense of belonging for transgender students indicates that increased confidence alone may not enhance their sense of campus inclusion. These results underscore the need for institutions to create affirming, identity-conscious leadership opportunities.

Authors

• Cat Metcalfe, Florida State University

• Animesh Paul, University of Georgia

• Roman Christiaens, Indiana University

• Kristopher Oliveira, University of South Florida

• C. V. Dolan, University of Vermont

• Jason C. Garvey, University of Vermont