Navigating Belonging: Exploring How Generational Status Shapes Student Experiences in German Universities

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Two
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT030 (Thursday)

Abstract

Developing a sense of belonging to the university is an essential component of students’ experiences
in higher education, and this can differ by generational status. Drawing on 20 semi-structured interviews
with undergraduate students, this study aims to examine differential belonging experiences and perceptions
of academic culture at institutions of higher education in Germany. Through thematic analysis,
various pathways to constructing university belonging emerged, as well as an emphasis on social aspects
of belonging, underscoring the importance of social integration for students. In addition, patterns of
exclusionary effects of the academic culture and barriers in navigating higher education were apparent,
indicating differing experiences among first- and continuing-generation students shaped by habitus fit
and social identities.

Authors

• Leonie Starke, Bielefeld University

• Sercan Erer, Bielefeld University

• Frederick de Moll, Bielefeld University