Black Girls' Conceptualization of Belonging in Middle School Math Classrooms

• In Event: Motivation in the Classroom: Teacher and Classroom Inputs and Motivational Outcomes

Abstract

There is evidence to suggest that culture and context significantly impacts how an individual construes opportunities to belong. This case study explores the conceptualization of belonging in math from middle school Black girls' perspectives. In centering Black girls' voices and experiences, the girls in this study become significant contributors to educators’ understanding of the dynamic nature of school belonging from a race-reimaged perspective. Using multiple data sources, the participants were able to convey their operationalized view of belonging within their math classrooms. While findings did reveal a picture of belonging consistent with prior research, there seemed to be evidence to suggest that the Black girls in the study saw competence as a precursor to experiencing belonging within the math classroom.

Author

• Brooke Harris-Thomas, Michigan State University