Context / probleemstelling of aanleiding

Probleemstelling (inclusief theoretische onderbouwing en onderzoeksvraag/vragen):
<b>Problem statement</b>
A strong sense of belonging is crucial for students’ well-being, persistence and academic success in higher education (Allen et al., 2024). Prior research has examined the role of personal and background characteristics, as well as institutional initiatives in fostering belonging. Belonging has also been recognized as a central concern in health professions education, where students must navigate demanding learning environments while forming professional identities. However, current insights do not fully explain why students with similar backgrounds in similar contexts experience belonging differently. Therefore, the literature overlooks the evolving and deeply personal nature of belonging, a process that students themselves may play a role in shaping. Drawing on the concept of identity safety (Bullock et al., 2024) – recently introduced in the context of health professions education – and its focus on agentic behaviors, we propose that student agency is key to understanding the dynamic nature of belonging. This review therefore asks: “<i>How do students in higher education leverage their agency to shape a sense of belonging?”</i>
Methode:
We conducted a meta-ethnographic review of qualitative studies in higher education and health professions education. With queries structured according to the SPIDER criteria, we systematically searched the databases: ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science. The database search resulted in a total of 1131 titles, and 880 after duplicates were removed. Studies were only included if they (1) were based on empirical qualitative data, (2) had collected data among students, (3) had been performed within the educational context and (4) contained data providing insight into the relationship between agency and SoB. Eventually, the searching and selection process identified 19 studies (14 through the database search and 5 through citation searching). These studies were synthesized interpretatively to generate new conceptual insights.
Resultaten (en conclusie):
Our synthesis revealed four types of agentic strategies through which students shape their sense of belonging. The first type refers to students deliberately choosing to attend places, such as colleges or hospitals, where they expect to belong. Second, students build belonging through relationships. While some prefer bonding with similar students – for example through joining dedicated institutional spaces – others intentionally connect to students who differ from themselves. A third type of agency reflects students reframing and regulating experiences, for example by adjusting themselves to what they perceive as the ‘norm’. Finally, students engage in empowering oneself and others to support sense of belonging. These strategies highlight belonging not as a static state, but as a dynamic process students actively engage in.
Discussie (beschouwing resultaten en conclusie in het kader van de theorie):
By foregrounding student agency, this study extends current understandings of sense of belonging by highlighting how students’ roles in shaping it are represented in the literature. The findings suggest that higher education institutions can strengthen belonging not only by creating supportive structures and interventions but also by enabling and acknowledging students’ own agency in shaping and sustaining it.
Referenties:
Allen, K.-A., Slaten, C., Hong, S., Lan, M., Craig, H., May, F., & Counted, V. (2024). Belonging in Higher Education: A Twenty-Year Systematic Review. <i>Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice</i>, <i>21</i>, 21. https://doi.org/10.53761/s2he6n66
Bullock, J. L., Sukhera, J., del Pino-Jones, A., Dyster, T. G., Ilgen, J. S., Lockspeiser, T. M., Teunissen, P. W., & Hauer, K. E. (2024). ‘Yourself in all your forms’: A grounded theory exploration of identity safety in medical students. <i>Medical Education</i>, <i>58</i>(3), 327-337. https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1111/medu.15174