Belonging, Places, and Digital Spaces: A Value-Creative Inquiry
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Journal of School & Society 69
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
new Zoom, hybrid, Teams, trimodal, Google
Belonging, Places, and Meet, asynchronous, synchronous, digital world.
Digital Spaces: A Value- The COVID pandemic forced many higher
education faculty into a new digital space, a space
Creative Inquiry lacking the physicality of a place, an abstract
space where we were challenged to continue
functioning, as much as possible, according to
Julie Nagashima the normalcy we had prior to the pandemic. We
North Central College desperately tried to push through and make do
with whatever technological abilities we could
Melissa Bradford quickly acquire. However, in retrospect, this new
DePaul University experience brought into sharp relief something
we had been struggling with but not closely at-
tending to until the double punch of George
Floyd’s murder and the pandemic—belonging.
Belonging is increasingly recognized as a miss- Like many people who have reevaluated their
ing feature of contemporary life. lives during the pandemic, we felt compelled to
As neighbors no longer talk to neighbors, reexamine our understanding of belonging and
children no longer play after school in the local community. As extended periods of isolation
park, church membership declines, and jobs be- spread among family, students, and colleagues,
come more siloed, people exist in more and we, too, were affected in both visible and subtle
more isolated bubbles. In the midst of this social ways.
dynamic, the need to foster belonging has been Thus, in this paper we investigate our own
identified as essential not only for mental health relationship to belonging and how we challenged
in general, but also for diversity, equity, and in- ourselves to foster a sense of belonging with our
clusion efforts.1 students and colleagues as we transitioned from
Furthermore, in the aftermath of the murder a physical place to a digital space. We conduct a
of George Floyd and other racial violence, atten- value-creative inquiry into the role of belonging
tion to the need for culturally responsive teach- through the dialogic sharing of our personal and
ing and sense of belonging of students of color professional histories. We begin by recounting
has heightened. Yet, educational institutions personal experiences of belonging and its ab-
have been slow to respond to the need to culti- sence. These narratives, originally uncovered
vate belonging, and teachers and students alike through duoethnographic inquiry, 2 illustrate
struggle to cope with feelings of pressure, isola- connections between a sense of belonging and
tion, and anxiety. The situation has been exacer- the place of school and inform our current ef-
bated during the isolation enforced by the global forts to cultivate belonging in our classrooms
pandemic. As two instructors in higher educa- and in our professional relationships with col-
tion who value belonging, we find ourselves leagues. Next, we examine how, in response to
grappling with how to create belonging in this pandemic conditions, we find that without a
1 Floyd Cobb and John Krownapple, Belonging through a 2 Joe Norris, Richard D. Sawyer, and Darren Lund, eds.,
Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation Duoethnography: Dialogic Methods for Social, Health, and Edu-
(San Diego, CA: Mimi & Todd Press, 2019). cational Research (Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press Inc.,
2012).
Journal of School & Society 70
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
shared place, we must be more ex-
plicit and intentional about creating a
community and sense of belonging.
In the discussion section, we examine
Block’s five principles of strategy to
build community 3 as we reflect on
our experiences during COVID. Fi-
nally, we consider what aspects of our
experiences during COVID we will
carry forward into our post-pandemic
classrooms.
Belonging and Place
Located geographically in a mid-
point between the authors’ resi-
dences, Krema, a coffee shop fre- beings begin to recognize their connectedness
quented by locals in a small Illinois town, has and develop their capacity to empathize and care
served as a place of belonging for us. for others. As we work in parallel at the cafe that
Once you enter the cafe, the dim, warm has become so familiar to us, we feel like we are
lights and the faint jazz music in the background not alone; we are in “our” coffee shop, a place
welcome you into the open space. When you where friendship and agency exist. We appreci-
step in further, there are eight colorful paintings ate the banter of the servers behind the counter
on one side of the wall that represent significant and enjoy the sense of fellowship with the
figures from diverse backgrounds and periods, friends group chatting excitedly at the table next
many of whom fought for justice and civil rights. to us, the studious young man focused on his
In a small, predominantly white, Midwestern computer screen, and the elderly couple enjoying
town, such a wall makes a statement. Although their lattes in peaceful companionship.
the clerks do not always greet us by name, it is a We first discovered the significance of be-
place where we feel welcome. As we meet in this longing in our own lives when we began explor-
place and engage in deep dialogues about our ing our past educational experiences through
personal lives and our teaching experiences and duoethnography research. We realized that, as
collaborate on research projects, it has become a children, we sometimes experienced schools as
place where we experience a sense of belonging. places of belonging, but at other times, we felt as
Block posits that the term belong has two though we were outsiders. In addition, due to
meanings.4 The first meaning is to be a part of our individual social positions, our experiences
something and to know that you are not alone or of belonging were quite different. Our experi-
an outsider. The second meaning is to feel own- ences confirmed what research has found: that a
ership, accountability, and agency from being a sense of belonging is a fundamental and psycho-
part of something. Through belonging, human logical human need to feel connected to a certain
3Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging (San 4 Block, Community.
Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018).Journal of School & Society 71
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
person, group, or place. 5 Belonging provides a that foster affinity. Space, on the other hand, is a
sense of security that connects to well-being and more abstract notion. Donald argues that space
away from feelings of isolation.6 As we found, has displaced place in curriculum, leading to ne-
the human need to belong begins early in child- glect of the intimate connections a place gives to
hood and continues throughout adulthood. life and living. Through the notion of space, the
Revisiting our work now, during the pan- particularities of a place only matter when they
demic, we realize the significance of place in our serve as an abstract domain; place is thus “trans-
memories of belonging. When we belong, we be- formed into an empty space ready to be occu-
long somewhere. Our memories of both belong- pied by the anthropocentric imagination. ” 8
ing and being outsiders are all tied to specific Further, standardization, which allows curricu-
places: a young Julie, staring through doors at lum to be applied anywhere, promotes a lack of
her mother, panicked at almost getting left be- attention to particularities of place. Meaningful
hind in a subway car in New York City. A young connections are lost as place is “framed largely
Melissa, swimming in the lake, watching grown- as the anthropocentric space within which hu-
ups stop by in their boats at all times of the day mans unilaterally think the world into being.”9
to sit on the patio, play a game of euchre, or When viewed from this perspective, a digital
drink a beer. Elementary student Julie, US-born space provides particular challenges to teachers
citizen, feeling like a perpetual outsider—a for- and students who seek belonging.
eigner—when she went to school and was as-
signed into an ESL (now called ELL) program
because she was quiet in class; in graduate
School as a Place of Belonging
school, being mistaken as someone "visiting"
from another country as she walked through the Studies have shown the importance of belong-
campus hallway. Elementary student Melissa, ing in schools.
understanding after hearing Julie’s experience A sense of belonging—the subjective feeling
that she always felt like she belonged to her small of deep connection with social groups, physical
Catholic school but also felt left out of the places, and individual and collective experi-
friends’ group, wishing she lived in town, where ences—is a fundamental human need that pre-
some of her classmates had lots of siblings and dicts numerous mental, physical, social, eco-
friends who played together in the neighbor- nomic, and behavioural outcomes.10 Goodenow
hood. This led us to wonder, can belonging exist defined belonging in schools as “students' sense
without a physical place? of being accepted, valued, included and encour-
As Donald notes, place is generally used to aged” 11 by their teachers and peers in their
indicate location.7 A place has unique qualities
5 Kelly-Ann Allen et al., “Belonging: A Review of Con- 8 Donald, “Place,” 158.
ceptual Issues, an Integrative Framework, and Directions 9 Donald, “Place,”159.
for Future Research,” Australian Journal of Psychology 73, 10 Allen et al., “Belonging: A Review of Conceptual Is-
no. 1 (2021), 87–102. sues, an Integrative Framework, and Directions for Fu-
6 Roy F. Baumeister and Mark R. Leary, “The Need to ture Research.”
Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fun- 11 Goodenow, “Classroom Belonging among Early Ado-
damental Human Motivation,” Psychological Bulletin 117, lescent Students: Relationships to Motivation and
no. 3 (1995): 497. Achievement,” The Journal of Early Adolescence 13, no. 1
7 Dwayne Donald, “Place,” in Key Concepts in Curriculum (1993): 25.
Studies: Perspectives on the Fundamentals, ed. Judy Wearing et
al. (New York, NY: Routledge, 2019).Journal of School & Society 72
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
classroom interactions. In other words, students home, a classroom, a workplace or a neighbor-
feel they are an integral part of the school. Other hood. In such places, where people care about
studies have connected this basic human need of the place, the people in it, and negotiate its use,
connectedness and relatedness to motivation.12 it can become a place of meaning and belonging.
In particular, studies have shown how feelings of In particular, a caring education focused on rela-
inclusion or connectedness affect a person’s in- tions and connectedness has continuity of
trinsic motivation. Similarly, in the context of place. 19 Adopting Dewey’s notion of continu-
schools, studies explore the connections of be- ity, 20 Noddings proposes four dimensions of
longingness to learners’ engagement and aca- continuity: purpose, people, place, and curricu-
demic motivation.13 When students’ sense of be- lum. These dimensions of continuity help build
longing is high, there are also indications of stability and structure for relations and care to
higher academic success. 14 In comparison, develop in schools. In particular, we focus spe-
Abdollahi, Panahipour, Akhavan, and Allen sug- cifically on continuity of place, given that we are
gest that students with a low sense of belonging experiencing a time when changing contexts cre-
might exhibit higher levels of academic stress.15 ate instability in students’ homes, communities,
Based on a comprehensive review of school be- and social structures. In 2020, the pandemic dis-
longing, St-Amand, Girard, and Smith suggest rupted whatever continuity of place students had
there are four key attributes important for school experienced in school up to that point, disrupt-
belonging, including positive emotions, positive ing the emotional relationship a student might
relations with peers and students, willingness to experience with their school environment.
be involved, and ability to be nimble and harmo-
nize in any situation.16 Exploring Our Experiences of
One of the dimensions to belonging is place:
a place that is shared and created by those who Belonging
act within a shared location.17 While place-based
belonging is minimally explored in scholarship, To explore the fundamental need to belong, we
it has been defined as the affective feeling of be- begin with our personal experiences of
ing at home in a place.18 Such a place can be a
12 Abraham H. Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being (New 16 Jerome St-Amand, Stéphanie Girard, and Jonathan
York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2013); Richard M. Ryan Smith, “Sense of Belonging at School: Defining Attrib-
and Edward L. Deci, “Self-Determination Theory and utes, Determinants, and Sustaining Strategies.,” Iafor Jour-
the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Develop- nal of Education 5, no. 2 (2017), 105–19.
ment, and Well-Being,” American Psychologist 55, no. 1 17 Mi Young Ahn and Howard H. Davis, “Four Domains
(2000): 68. of Students’ Sense of Belonging to University,” Studies in
13 Goodenow, “Classroom Belonging among Early Ado- Higher Education 45, no. 3 (2020), 622–34; Lisa M. Nunn,
lescent Students.” College Belonging: How First-Year and First-Generation Students
14 Carol Goodenow and Kathleen E. Grady, “The Rela- Navigate Campus Life (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Uni-
tionship of School Belonging and Friends’ Values to Aca- versity Press, 2021).
demic Motivation among Urban Adolescent Students,” 18 Marco Antonsich, “Searching for Belonging–an Ana-
The Journal of Experimental Education 62, no. 1 (1993), 60– lytical Framework,” Geography Compass 4, no. 6 (2010),
71. 644–59.
15 Abbas Abdollahi et al., “Academic Hardiness as a Me- 19 Nel Noddings, The Challenge to Care in Schools (New
diator for the Relationship between School Belonging York, NY: Teachers College Press, 2005).
and Academic Stress,” Psychology in the Schools 57, no. 5 20 John Dewey, “Experience and Education,” The Educa-
(2020), 823–32. tional Forum, vol. 50 (New York, NY: Taylor & Francis,
1986), 241–52.Journal of School & Society 73
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
belonging and alienation in schools. We review Value creation, a term introduced by Japanese
our childhood experiences, and then consider educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi,24 refers to the
some key moments in adulthood when we found process of enriching our lives for personal and
or created places of belonging for ourselves. Fi- societal flourishing. Ikeda describes this process
nally, we examine our current experiences of be- as “to find meaning, to enhance one’s own exist-
longing and isolation as faculty in higher educa- ence and to contribute to the well-being of oth-
tion as well as our efforts to create belonging in ers.”25 As inquirers, we adopted Makiguchi and
our classrooms. To conduct this exploration, we Ikeda’s intent to create value as a humanistic ap-
utilize value-creative inquiry, a dialogic approach proach to research.
in which we explore our narratives with the in- The first criteria, intent to create value, refers to
tention of creating value for ourselves and oth- the moment-to-moment compass that guides
ers. We met regularly over several months, both ongoing experience of researcher-participants in
in person and through video conferencing, to their process to find deeper meaning and signif-
share our stories and to document them. By ex- icance. As we engage in inquiry or dialogue, we
ploring our stories dialogically, we sought to go enter the space with the awareness and commit-
beyond surfacing the influence of a socio-cul- ment to create value and meaning together. Col-
tural phenomenon to consider what meaning we laboration reflects the negotiation and decision-
made from our challenging circumstances. making process of editing and revising what in-
In our recent work,21 we engaged in a dia- formation to include and omit between re-
logic inquiry discussing research methodologies searcher-participants. For this article, we con-
that aligned with a relational paradigm. As we ducted a self-study so it was only between the
collaborated, we recognized that within our researchers using Google documents to negoti-
methodological approaches of dialogic inquiry22 ate the direction of the paper. However, when
and narrative storytelling, 23 there were signifi- we conduct interviews with our participants, col-
cant overlaps, and both were significant to the laboration is also seen in the process of honoring
inquiry. Thus, we named our merged, collabora- our participants’ voices and inviting them to take
tive approach value-creating inquiry and identified part in the editing process to ensure accurate
five criteria that made this approach unique: in- representation of their stories and perspectives.
tent to create value, collaboration, connected- Connectedness of dialogue and narrative inquiry
ness of dialogue and narrative inquiry, transfor- highlights the contribution of both methods in
mation, and levels or dimensions of storytelling. the inquiry process, such as the importance of
21 Julie Nagashima and Melissa Bradford, “From Child- 23 D. J. Clandinin, Engaging in Narrative Inquiry. (New
hood Memories to Valuing Each Student: Re-Envision- York, NY: Routledge, 2016); D. Jean Clandinin and F.
ing the Student-Teacher Relationship with Daisaku Michael Connelly, Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in
Ikeda’s Philosophy” (Paper presentation, American Edu- Qualitative Research (San Francisco, CA: John Wiley &
cational Studies Association Annual Conference, Pitts- Sons, 2000).
burgh, PA, November 5, 2017); Julie Nagashima and 24 Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Makiguchi Tsunesaburo Zenshu
Melissa Bradford, “Enhancing the Dewey-Soka Heritage [The Complete Works of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi], 10 vols.
in Educational Research: Relational, Dialogical and Nar- (Tokyo, Japan: Daisan Bunmeisha, 1981-1988).
rative Ways of Knowing,” in In The Dewey-Soka Heritage 25 Daisaku Ikeda, A New Humanism: The University Ad-
and the Future of Education, ed. Jason Goulah, Gonzalo dresses of Daisaku Ikeda (London, UK: I. B. Tauris, 2010).,
Obelleiro, and Jim Garrison, forthcoming. 112
22 Melissa Bradford, “Friends in the Orchid Room: An
Inquiry into Value-Creative Dialogue” (Doctoral disserta-
tion, Chicago, IL, DePaul University, 2018).Journal of School & Society 74
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
challenging and probing in dialogue as well as the community (both with peers and with teachers),
storytelling process in narrative inquiry. As we and belonging on a social level varied signifi-
enter this space of inquiry, we take a dialogic ap- cantly. Each connected to a specific place, the
proach to begin asking questions that stimulate a particularities of which shaped our experiences
narrative response. Dialogue is then used to of belonging. While we noted changes in belong-
challenge and probe one another’s stories that ing at different times in our lives, Julie and
are shared to guide us in a reflective space. This Melissa both found belonging within their fami-
takes us to the next criteria. lies.
Transformation is an outcome of the dialogic Julie, as a non-white student in large urban,
interaction between researcher-participants that public schools in New York and Los Angeles,
demonstrates how new meaning or understand- always felt like an outsider, even though she was
ing is found from the transaction or engagement a US citizen. She grew up in a home where Jap-
between researchers and participants. Each of anese was the primary language; her parents were
our stories shared here are representations of first generation Japanese immigrants. By being
what manifested through the dialogic transac- raised in a Japanese household, she felt a cultural
tion. dissonance in schools that made her feel like a
The last criterion, the level or dimensions of sto- foreigner.
rytelling, is twofold. It recognizes the various
voices that are weaving in and out of the inquiry I remember feeling culturally disconnected with
as well as the various storytelling approaches that the people and the classroom. As a result, I was
are shaped and shared in the inquiry. For exam- often daydreaming in class. My fourth-grade
ple, there will be direct quotes in this paper from teacher somehow assumed I could not speak or
the researchers and a few student quotes selected understand English well and assigned me to an
ESL (now formally called ELL) classroom dur-
from assignments to bring voices into storytell- ing certain periods. I remember desperately ask-
ing. There will also be a narrative story repre- ing my mom to buy the perfect Snoopy cup for
senting the two researchers’ lived experiences this fourth-grade teacher. I felt compelled to find
and a collective voice narrating those stories. a way to make her happy and to make her like
me. When I think back to that moment, a feeling
Our Experiences of Alienation of anxiety wells up. It felt like my life depended
on this one cup. Reflecting back to this moment,
and Belonging I realize now that I was longing for the basic hu-
man need for connection.
As we explored the intersection of belonging Julie’s experience reflects a lower sense of be-
and school, we discovered a sense of alienation longing and lack of ownership of the place she
and fear of being judged, which created distance
inhabited.26
between us and our fellow students and teachers.
However, we recognized that there were differ-
ences between various arenas of belonging: be-
longing to family, belonging to a school
26Sylvia Hurtado, Adriana Ruiz Alvarado, and Chelsea no. 1 (2015): 61; Lisa Nunn, College Belonging: How First-
Guillermo-Wann, “Thinking about Race: The Salience of Year and First-Generation Students Navigate Campus Life
Racial Identity at Two-and Four-Year Colleges and the (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2021).
Climate for Diversity,” The Journal of Higher Education 86,Journal of School & Society 75
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
The physical structures at school also made
it difficult for her to belong. The fences that
were intended to protect students and keep out-
siders from coming inside made her feel like she
was trapped and caged. Most of her teachers
seemed indifferent and did not make an effort to
connect with her or help make her feel con-
nected with others. She felt insignificant, a num-
ber in the classroom. She often reasoned to her-
self, “Well, teachers also have their own lives to
think about. Why would they care about us?”
Culturally, I felt like I didn’t fit in, and my envi-
ronment constantly reminded me of that. Fortu-
nately, I felt safe and valued when I was home
student and staff demographic were more di-
with my parents and siblings. In a world where I verse and included a large body of international
felt disconnected, my home was the only place students. Julie was surprised to feel a sense of
where I felt like I truly belonged. belonging for the first time outside her family
home. Even if she simply missed a class, it was
While she was bothered about not being in- noticed by others, leaving her with the feeling
cluded, Julie did not even dream of being on top that she mattered.
of the social hierarchy. The message she gleaned
from her environment was, “I have to know my My professors and classmates would reach out if
place.” Julie’s family situation, moving from they didn’t see me. There were high expectations
New York to California, and her sense of dis- for every student and I felt a sense of accounta-
bility and responsibility not only to myself but
connection and lack of care at school, reflect the also to the campus community. Small but mean-
lack of continuity of place. ingful interactions empowered me to believe in
Julie’s early childhood experiences led her to my own potential. The school culture fostered a
seek friends from the same racial backgrounds as strong sense of agency and desire to contribute
she grew older. She reached out to Asian stu- and be part of a larger community.
dents because they were similar to her. She
thought race and culture were a big part of what Julie’s SUA experience demonstrates the im-
might help her feel like she belonged. She found portance of Noddings’ continuity of place. It
herself moving between groups that were par- was her first time to be in one place (school) for
tially defined by her identity as an Asian-Ameri- more than 3 years. When she felt cared for and
can, but she never quite found her home. She when a school was guided by an intent to foster
never knew for sure how many of her experi- agency, her past and present experiences guided
ences had to do with her identity or were just her own intent to care for others. Julie’s personal
part of the typical social challenges created by childhood and college experience led her to pur-
the age-segregated social structure of school. sue a career in education because she wanted to
On the other hand, circumstances changed support future students. Knowing the im-
for her after high school. At her small liberal arts portance of belonging, she wanted to foster con-
college, Soka University of America (SUA), she nections the way she had experienced them in
felt noticed and valued. It was a place where theJournal of School & Society 76
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
college in order to empower other students’ abil- of belonging. At the same time, she felt a lack of
ity to contribute to society. belonging in terms of community. Everybody
Melissa never questioned whether she be- mainly lived in town while Melissa lived outside
longed in her small, K-8 Catholic school. Her of town, reinforcing the sense of alienation that
parents and grandmothers both lived in the town stuck with Melissa. As she got older, Melissa felt
where she grew up and regularly came to func- stifled in her small town, and was happy to grad-
tions at the school. Though her family did not uate high school and attend a university in a large
typically socialize with the rest of the families at metropolitan area.
her church, Melissa’s mother ran the Girl Scout Once she became a middle school science
troop, so she felt she was part of a community teacher, her school experiences lingered in her
that stretched beyond the school day. Upon memories. While she did her best to create op-
hearing Julie’s experience, Melissa explained, portunities for her students to connect and feel
a sense of belonging, she could not help but
I never felt like I was an unknown person or wonder if there might be a way to create a school
anonymous, even though I did notice that be- environment that was more conducive to build-
longing was tied to my religious identity. It was ing community.
clear to me that my town was divided by church
affiliation. But within my small school, I knew I didn’t like the distance that I perceived between
just about every adult and child in the building myself and my students. Often, I felt that, as the
and I suppose everyone knew me as well. I didn’t all-knowing purveyor of content and as the en-
really appreciate the value of the belonging that forcer of behavior rules, I was powerless to cre-
surrounded me until hearing your [Julie’s] expe- ate authentic connections with or for my stu-
rience. dents. Further, no matter what I did in the class-
room, I only saw my students for 40 minutes a
At the same time that Melissa had a sense of day over the course of one school year. It didn’t
community belonging, she also felt like an out- seem like a very natural way of knowing and be-
sider with her peers. Most of the girls in the class ing with each other. I knew young people had
had large families with older siblings and lived in many struggles with peer interactions, unhappy
town. Melissa lived outside of town and was the families, or academic pressures, and I was disap-
oldest of three, so she did not have the benefit pointed that school was not a community that
of being around older children she could learn could support them through those struggles.
from.
After having her own children, Melissa came
Three of the girls in my class lived a block from upon a book that described the Sudbury Valley
each other and were best friends. They had older School, a school of self-directed education that
siblings and they played sports together, knew is run democratically by students and staff. She
what music was popular, and had fashionable became fascinated with the idea that school did
haircuts. As a child living in the country without not have to employ coercion in order for stu-
older siblings or cousins to learn from, I felt so- dents to have successful lives after graduation.
cially awkward and I was jealous of the three
friends who were so close. Once I read about self-directed education, I
knew there was no way I could go back to teach-
In Melissa’s story, continuity of place also played ing in a conventional school. I felt compelled to
a significant role. She continued to attend her create a similar environment like The Sudbury
small but intimate school where she felt a sense Valley School where students could play andJournal of School & Society 77
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
pursue their interests with other community white institution with a higher-than-average
members of all ages, make decisions collabora- population of minority and first-generation col-
tively to run the school, and feel a sense of own- lege students, felt a strong need to effectively
ership of the place where they spent their days. support belonging, which was all the more press-
Even more, I craved an environment where I, as ing during the aftermath of the murder of
a staff member, would no longer be the “enemy”
of students but would be an organic part of their
George Floyd. For Julie, who experienced
community. The idea was exhilarating and free- firsthand the challenges of belonging as a minor-
ing. ity student of color, creating a space for belong-
ing was further informed by a desire to cultivate
Melissa’s experience of wishing for more friend- an inclusive, equitable, and ethical community.
ship and a community of children contributed to The sudden transition to online and hybrid
her desire to belong in adulthood and propelled learning modalities we encountered during the
her to create an alternative to conventional COVID-19 pandemic brought the need to create
schooling. The school she founded, Tallgrass belonging in online modalities to the forefront.
Sudbury School, is now in its fourteenth year.
Transitioning into higher education, Melissa’s Belonging and Online Learning
experiences of belonging and community inform
her work and her classroom practice. Similarly,
Julie’s childhood and college experience with be- Online learning has become vital to meeting
longing motivated her to pursue a career in edu- the needs of learners who would otherwise have
cation. Her own personal struggles and lived ex- limited access to education. Online platforms al-
periences guide her drive to foster belongingness low flexibility for individuals who have profes-
in her own classrooms. The lens from which she sional or personal commitments that challenge
builds her curriculum and teaching practices are them to be present in face-to-face classroom in-
informed by an ethic of care, teacher-student re- structions. Online learning has become crucial
lationships, culturally relevant pedagogy and for educational institutions, especially those that
practice, student-centered practice, leadership are grappling with enrollment and economic
development, and moral and character educa- challenges. Institutions have been slowly adopt-
tion. ing this growing market. At the same time, there
are concerns whether online learning is effective
and provides the equivalent quality experience
Belonging in Higher Education and outcome for learners.27 Higher education in-
stitutions, especially large institutions, have limi-
By examining our childhood experiences of be- tations that disrupt the continuity of place, espe-
longing, we realized how much our desire to be- cially as courses are term-specific and take place
long and our experiences of alienation were deep in various buildings and locations. However, an
motivators for our desire to create a sense of be- online space further disrupts continuity of place.
longing for our students and for ourselves in our With limited opportunities to feel belonging, stu-
roles as faculty at higher education institutions. dent retention rates and student success can be
Melissa, who teaches at an urban, predominantly low.
27 Pu-Shih Daniel Chen, Robert Gonyea, and George
Kuh, “Learning at a Distance: Engaged or Not?”, Inno-
vate: Journal of Online Education 4, no. 3 (2008).Journal of School & Society 78
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
Thus, the social presence of others and the Fostering Belonging during
degree that the virtual connection feels “real”
can help foster belonging in online classes. 28 Remote Learning
Learners who experienced more engagement
and collaboration with their peers online feel a Julie’s full-time higher education teaching posi-
greater sense of belonging and fewer feelings of tion was offered to her during the same aca-
isolation, while the lack of such interaction may demic year when COVID hit (2019-2020), while
affect student retention.29 Instructor-learner and Melissa was finishing her second year of teaching
peer-to-peer interaction support student reten- educational leadership at her institution.
tion and student success.30 This points to the im- During the height of the pandemic, Melissa
portance of structure and the instructors’ efforts taught both synchronous and asynchronous
to prepare a space and environment for peer en- online courses, while Julie taught asynchronous
gagement and learning—even in online settings. and Hy-Flex courses (in-person instruction
When the setting is structured to include activi- while also offering synchronous instruction at
ties, participants engage in deeper discussions.31 the same time). For all members involved on
Other structural methods to improve presence campus, including faculty, staff, and students,
and connection include using rich media tech- the COVID pandemic was a challenging and
nologies that provide a feeling of connection emotionally-draining experience as people navi-
such as videos, audios, and synchronous meet- gated both their personal and professional lives.
ings.32 Even the surface-level or off-topic con- Melissa recalls,
versations that develop in chat spaces foster so-
cial presence.33 Unfortunately, students in asyn- Fortunately, I had received an initial training in
chronous settings report feeling more individu- online course delivery and had taught some
alistic and feel less classroom-level belonging in online classes before the pandemic hit. In con-
comparison to those in synchronous online trast, many of my colleagues had never taught an
courses.34 online class and had no training in using our
online platform beyond turning the class on,
emailing students, and posting a syllabus. I spent
many hours supporting faculty in my depart-
ment, both emotionally and with instructional
28 Charlotte N. Gunawardena and Frank J. Zittle, “Social 32 Maura R. Cherney, Michelle Fetherston, and Lauren
Presence as a Predictor of Satisfaction within a Com- Jean Johnsen, “Online Course Student Collaboration Lit-
puter-mediated Conferencing Environment,” American erature: A Review and Critique,” Small Group Research 49,
Journal of Distance Education 11, no. 3 (1997), 8–26. no. 1 (2018), 98–128; Peacock et al., “An Exploration
29 Lisa Thomas, James Herbert, and Marko Teras, “A into the Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Online
Sense of Belonging to Enhance Participation, Success Learners.”
33 Alberto Beuchot and Mark Bullen, “Interaction and In-
and Retention in Online Programs.”
30 Susi Peacock et al., “An Exploration into the Im- terpersonality in Online Discussion Forums,” Distance
portance of a Sense of Belonging for Online Learners,” Education 26, no. 1 (2005), 67–87; Christine E. Wade et
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learn- al., “Are Interpersonal Relationships Necessary for De-
ing 21, no. 2 (2020), 18–35. veloping Trust in Online Group Projects?,” Distance Edu-
31 Jim Waters, “Thought-Leaders in Asynchronous cation 32, no. 3 (2011), 383–96.
34 Amy T. Peterson, Patrick N. Beymer, and Ralph T.
Online Learning Environments,” Journal of Asynchronous
Learning Networks 16, no. 1 (2012), 19–34. Putnam, “Synchronous and Asynchronous Discussions:
Effects on Cooperation, Belonging, and Affect.,” Online
Learning 22, no. 4 (2018), 7–25.Journal of School & Society 79
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
design assistance, as my colleagues navigated the another in Zoom and remote settings, how they
transition to online teaching. The adjustment should act and behave with their masks, and how
was a major stressor during an already difficult to handle food and drinks in the classroom. In-
time. stead of presenting the class with already formed
policies or expectations, they took time to dis-
Students were equally stressed out. Many cuss and make decisions together as a new com-
students were experiencing anxiety and strug- munity in order to feel comfortable and account-
gling with their mental health and depression. able and to feel a sense of ownership of their
Accommodating and providing support was a space and place.
priority shared in both Julie’s college and Next was requesting students to take ownership of
Melissa’s university. As Julie recounts, making the class inclusive. To ensure that every
voice was heard and not missed in the class-
When we transitioned into a completely remote room, Julie asked in-person students to be a
learning space, some of the common narratives
that were echoed across the administration and
voice for the remote learners if they were raising
faculty was to err on the side of compassion and their hand or making comments in the chat
empathy. There were students who had to sup- space. To create an inclusive space, in-person
port their families while keeping up with school. students were asked to bring their laptops to join
Some students experienced family deaths while Zoom during class. Audio was a challenge for
trying to stay afloat in this unknown situation. the HyFlex classrooms because most classrooms
Others felt isolated and alone. While some stu- were not yet equipped with microphones to col-
dents adapted to the unknown and new learning lect all the voices in the classroom. Even if the
environment, other students struggled to keep students heard the instructor’s voice, most re-
up due to various circumstances. mote students could not hear the other students
in the classroom speaking. This made learning
With the growing impact of COVID, Julie difficult if the classroom structure was based on
sensed a fear of connecting, but also a longing discussions. Thus, in-person students were
for connection at the same time as people cre- asked to unmute to talk and put their cameras on
ated distance from one another. This led her to for the online learners. Although small and frus-
implement a number of strategies in her online trating, it was an important conscious and con-
and face-to-face, HyFlex environments. siderate act that they all committed to doing. To
promote interactions between in-person and re-
In my unique classroom setup, which was an in- mote students, Julie also sometimes assigned
tersection of space and place, I focused on activ-
ities that encouraged interactions and discus-
small group discussions that had a mix of in-per-
sions that would help build connection and rela- son and online learners. In short, to ensure that
tions with one another, especially across the in- remote learners felt like they belonged and were
person and online boundary. a part of the class, Julie made sure to call on stu-
dents who were joining remotely as much as she
Julie explains some of the strategies she ap- called on students in-person.
plied to ensure undergraduate students felt be- Next, incorporating culturally responsive pedagogy.
longing. The first was creating class norms. This was In addition to fostering a space of critical think-
particularly important during the pandemic. Her ing for students, Julie reflected critically on her
class took time in small and large groups to dis- own teaching and examined whether the learn-
cuss their individual expectations, values, and ing environment was representative and inclu-
how they felt they should engage with one sive in terms of content and message. Were theJournal of School & Society 80
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
materials and resources culturally diverse and students wanted to share something. It was a
representative? She reviewed the textbooks, ac- way to feel united and connected.
tivities, and resources she was utilizing to diver- These types of activities were instrumental in
sify the materials. Julie also created opportunities ensuring the student online felt more connected
for peer learning and interactions using different to classmates and the instructor. Unless instruc-
applications to try to reach diverse learners. tors create a sense of belonging, students online
Next, scheduling one-on-one meetings and group may only see coursework as a collection of tasks
meetings. Midway through the semester, Julie in- to complete.35 In such a space, learners need to
corporated a 15-minute, one-on-one meeting trust one another and feel connected to each
with all her students outside of class. This was an other to create effective social spaces online.36
opportunity to personally connect with students, Thus, both Julie and Melissa found ways of using
discuss their individual performances thus far, technology to build connections. For example,
and provide an opportunity where students Melissa used Calendly, a scheduling application,
could voice their concerns or evaluation of the to meet with each student for 15 minutes at the
course. She also held weekly group meetings out- beginning of the quarter. Like Julie, she used
side of class with the group assigned to present VoiceThread—a collaborative platform with
that week to help them prepare for the presenta- video, voice, and text commenting—to promote
tion. a less formal, more natural class discussion than
Next, creating time for informal conversations. A can be achieved through written discussion
short, five-minute activity was held at the begin- boards. Although Melissa prefers seminar-style
ning of class as a space to share concerns or tips discussions to lectures in her face-to-face, grad-
with one another about how they were navi- uate-level courses, she created video lectures so
gating through this challenging time. Sometimes the students could feel more instructor presence.
Julie asked students to share an emoji or describe Furthermore, both Melissa and Julie found these
in one word how they were feeling. At other additional strategies helpful for completely re-
times the class created a list of uplifting or sooth- mote courses:
ing songs that helped them get through the day.
During a time of uncertainty, these activities 1. Multimedia: Since there are limitations to
were a way to shift the conversation to online modalities, utilizing multimedia tech-
acknowledge that they were all going through nology applications to engage various learn-
this together before moving on to lectures or ers was an important structure for students
class work. to feel connected and motivated. In addition
to their respective institutions’ learning man-
Finally, gratitude message. At the end of each agement systems, they incorporated applica-
semester in 2020, when students did their final tions such as VoiceThread and Padlet (a
presentation online, Julie asked students to share real-time collaborative web platform for up-
in open mic-style a short message of apprecia- loading, organizing, and sharing content to
tion related to the class. She found that students virtual bulletin boards) to encourage creative
enjoyed this meaningful closure and that most engagement with course content.
35Beth McMurtrie, “The New Rules of Engagement.,” 36Mete Akcaoglu and Eunbae Lee, “Increasing Social
The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 7, 2020, Presence in Online Learning through Small Group Dis-
https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-new-rules-of-en- cussions,” The International Review of Research in Open and
gagement. Distributed Learning 17, no. 3 (2016).Journal of School & Society 81
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
2. Instructor-student relationship: In order for stu- I want to express how this class has been very
dents to feel connected as much as possible, different from any other class I have been a part
instructor engagement is the strategy most of . . . One thing I really liked was the learning
commonly mentioned by students as effec- environment because I was able to make new
tive. Thus, Julie and Melissa responded friends and collaborate and communicate with
promptly, provided timely feedback, and my classmates like I never really have before.
scheduled virtual appointments whenever This was unexpected since half the class was
necessary to increase their online presence online. This was a really good way to make new
with students. connections and bring the class together like a
community. I would highly recommend this
3. Team building: Despite an asynchronous mo- class for others because it really helps you break
dality, Julie and Melissa ensured peer learn- out of your shell and learn about leadership with
ing and interaction by creating teams to en- a hands-on approach.
courage connection and relationship. Dur-
ing this period, students were required to Similarly, students taking her asynchronous
collaborate with or respond specifically to course shared:
their assigned team members.
I enjoyed the team interaction and I believe it
4. Opening & Closure: At the beginning and end brought the comments and conversation into a
of courses, discussion board threads and more authentic and richer space. The comments
VoiceThreads were structured for building by my team members were encouraging and
community by creating a space for students guiding. Sometimes I would watch their
to introduce themselves during the opening VoiceThreads and then wanted to add even
week and to experience closure at the end of more to mine! The team orientation had a signif-
the course to share their appreciation and icant impact in a good way. I was very happy to
farewell to one another. For example, establish a better connection with a smaller
Melissa invited students to introduce them- group of people. I looked forward to our inter-
selves by describing a favorite childhood actions and I do feel that we were able to develop
place and asked students to reflect on the af- a great rapport with each other.
fordances and constraints of the online ex-
perience via VoiceThread at the end of the
quarter.
The statements by the students in both the
HyFlex and asynchronous courses demonstrate
In various ways, both Julie and Melissa struc- that it is possible to foster connection and be-
tured their learning environments, whether in longing in online courses and, further, how that
the physical space or in the online space, for experience motivates students to continue being
community building through strengthening as- engaged in their learning environment. Still, it
sociational life and incorporating small group in- should be noted that, while the strategies we
teractions. 37 Students in Julie’s courses shared mention were successful for many cases, at the
how they were able to make friends in her class, same time, there were also challenges. Due to an
which was an unusual experience for students ambiguous attendance policy, students in Julie’s
during the pandemic when they had limited in- HyFlex classes missed more class sessions in
teraction or engagement with their peers. comparison to pre-COVID. There were also a
Accordingly, one undergraduate student tak- few students who showed dissatisfaction toward
ing her HyFlex instruction shared: peer interaction and preferred individualized,
37 Block, Community.Journal of School & Society 82
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
self-paced courses. Although expectations for to feel connected to her colleagues since she was
the peer engagement and learning were noted in just beginning to get to know them.
the syllabus and also during the first day of the Surprisingly, Melissa’s experience changed
semester, there are always one or two students during the pandemic. Her college of education
who express disapproval of peer assignments. Be community, reeling after George Floyd’s murder
that as it may, both Julie and Melissa discovered and compelled by the subsequent protests, im-
engagement strategies that they will carry for- mediately searched for a meaningful response. A
ward with them in future classes post-pandemic. grassroots effort between faculty and staff mem-
bers led to a number of initiatives, including anti-
Seeking Belonging during racism study and support groups. As part of this
effort, Melissa found herself in Zoom meetings
Remote Teaching with a non-hierarchical mix of department assis-
tants and other staff members, students, and ten-
Turning from student belonging to faculty be- ured faculty from other departments. Many of
longing, it should be noted that it is not uncom- these colleagues were people she did not really
mon for faculty members to experience a lack of know prior to these online gatherings. Some-
belonging in higher education. As Block de- times they discussed books like My Grandmother’s
scribes, a paradigm that perpetuates scarcity, in- Hands40 or movies like the James Baldwin docu-
dividualism, and competition undermines be- mentary, I Am Not Your Negro. At other times,
longing and community.38 the groups discussed how to facilitate anti-rac-
The corporatization of higher education, the ism work at combined faculty and staff meetings
pressures of competition and the siloed organi- or with students.
zational structures work against the creation of As she explained,
trusting relationships. As non-tenure-track fac-
ulty, Melissa and Julie inhabit a “separate but not Although I had received my doctorate from this
institution and had subsequently taught there for
quite equal” space due to their ambiguous sta- two years at the time COVID-19 hit, the move
tus. 39 Onboarding procedures were especially to online meetings meant I was getting to know
lacking in helping Melissa feel like she belonged. people other than my immediate coworkers for
When she first worked for her institution as a the first time. In addition, I was able to get to
graduate assistant, no one even spoke to Melissa know them on a different level, one in which it
as she sat alone in her office for her first few was safe to be vulnerable. For the first time, I
months. Now, as a faculty member, she finds truly felt like I belonged to the college.
that faculty are so busy that they seldom have
time to work together as collaborators. Julie ex- Still, Melissa and her colleagues grappled with
perienced similar experiences due to the timing the challenges of reshaping an institution orga-
of her hiring. She was hired during the academic nized hierarchically and fraught, at times, with
year when the pandemic hit, which resulted in a power dynamics and a scarcity mindset. Interest-
year-long work isolation. It was difficult for Julie ingly, long-time faculty members told Melissa
38Block, Community. Members,” The Journal of Higher Education 88, no. 4 (2017),
39Don Haviland, Nathan F. Alleman, and Cara Cliburn 505–28.
Allen, “‘Separate but Not Quite Equal’: Collegiality Ex- 40 Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized
periences of Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
(Las Vegas, NV: Central Recovery Press, 2017).Journal of School & Society 83
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
that their new building has contributed to the course proliferation, evidence suggests that pri-
lack of community. In the old building, because oritizing belonging can contribute to student and
offices were located across the hall from one an- faculty well-being whether we congregate in a
other, faculty members were more likely to see physical place or only connect via a virtual space.
each other, to chat, and to keep their doors open. Therefore, we utilize Block’s five principles for
In the new building, while faculty have their own building community41 as a framework to discuss
classrooms, offices are spread out and there is no our experiences and consider what lessons will
good congregating area. stay with us after the pandemic subsides.
This observation lends credence to the idea Block suggests five principles to guide a
that a place can shape belonging. Nevertheless, strategy to build community. The first principle
during the pandemic, discussions of a shared vi- is to build a social fabric of care for, and account-
sion for their institution, such as how to build a ability to, each other. Block argues that when we
healthier culture and how to resist neoliberal have caring relationships, we also feel accounta-
pressures, has created community. Furthermore, ble to one another and develop a community. In-
faculty and staff are using the lens of anti-racism formed by her own lack of belonging during her
to ask, “How do we create more relational and schooling experiences, Julie had a strong desire
less hierarchical ways of knowing, being, and do- to create caring relationships. Thus, she struc-
ing?” At her institution, Julie connected with the tured her course in a way for students to develop
Center for Advancement of Faculty Excellence caring relationships with their instructor and
and attended various virtual events designed to peers. This allowed for students to feel a connec-
support faculty instruction and professional de- tion and a sense of community. Melissa sought
velopment. These periodic events provided op- caring relationships among faculty and staff at
portunities for faculty to connect during the pan- her institution and found her sense of commu-
demic. nity strengthening through the social fabric built
around anti-racism work.
Building Caring Communities The second principle is to build a strong as-
sociational life through a shared purpose. Both
incidental and planned meetings are opportuni-
The pandemic brought immeasurable chal- ties for community building and social transfor-
lenges to educators across the globe. mation. Julie and Melissa attempted to provide
Many of us were challenged to do something opportunities for associational life by creating
that we had never done before. Although we structured assignments (group projects and dis-
navigated uncharted territories, we drew on our cussions) and having meetings for learners to en-
resilience because of our desire to do the best for gage and foster organic connections with one an-
our students. Whether it was fully online or other—while acknowledge that a higher educa-
blended or HyFlex mode, we had to challenge tion course is not always conducive to associat-
ourselves in new ways to compensate for the ing for a shared purpose. In contrast, both
lack of continuity of place, pushing against the Melissa and Julie experienced associational life in
highly abstract nature of digital spaces. By neces- earlier school experiences. Julie found related-
sity, we learned how to use new tools and meth- ness in her college experience, and Melissa found
ods. While it is uncertain what the long-term im- it in the school she started. In addition, Melissa
pact of the pandemic will be relative to online found the shared purpose of anti-racism to be a
41 Block, Community.Journal of School & Society 84
ISSN 2575-9922
7(2) 69–85
©Author(s) 2021
springboard for associational life at her institu- stronger sense of autonomy as a result. Further,
tion. as reflected in the student testimonials, engaging
The third principle for community-building in small groups resulted in positive outcomes, in-
strategies is the use of power to convene others cluding fostering friendships and engaging in
to create an alternative future. Block argues that deeper dialogue. At the institutional level,
action is organic and emergent when driven by a Melissa found her sense that she could make a
shift in thinking and actions of individuals, not difference in her institution to be greatly im-
by organizations or leaders; thus, grassroots ef- proved when she began engaging in small, online
forts build community. In both our cases, we did meetings with her colleagues.
not necessarily wait for the institution to guide The fifth principle for building community is
us in instructional methods for online instruc- changing the conversation in service of transfor-
tion. Informed by our desire, we took it upon mation. Although not discussed above, Julie and
ourselves to foster spaces of belonging. Some- Melissa, as any good teacher might, included
times this meant taking initiative such as using course content that helped students name prob-
tools the institution was not providing—for ex- lems and reframe conversations. In both class-
ample, scheduling additional synchronous gath- room discussions and one-on-one meetings, we
erings or adopting Zoom over Blackboard for drew on course content to reframe or change the
virtual meetings because the Gallery feature bet- conversation with our students. Through dia-
ter fostered community. Nevertheless, in a class- logue on course content, students had the op-
room, most gatherings are not organic and emer- portunity to reframe (e.g., from fear to hope),
gent, and even less so in the online environment, giving them a transformative context from
so this feature is difficult to cultivate as teachers. which to build social capital. In a similar fashion,
Melissa found parallels, however, at the organi- Melissa found that the anti-racism discussions
zational level of her university, where the anti- taking place in her college of education empow-
racism work was driven by faculty and staff ra- ered faculty, staff, and students alike to move to-
ther than the administration of the college. ward transformation.
The fourth principle is the structure of small Through the lens of Block’s five principles
groups, the unit of size where transformation oc- for strategic community-building, our experi-
curs. Small groups are where relationships are ences of belonging and efforts to create commu-
formed and change can take place. Block en- nity highlight the limitations of higher education
courages us to let go of the idea of “scaling up” classrooms. In face-to-face and online classes,
and instead argues that groups should be kept we can practice community building strategies,
small to retain the power of citizens. Similarly, but classrooms are not places where students
Ikeda advocates for a life-sized paradigm of freely organize and initiate grassroots efforts to-
change, one that “never deviates from the hu- ward transformation. Thus, the level of belong-
man scale.” 42 According to Ikeda, a life-sized ing in relatively abstract spaces differs from a
paradigm can combat the sense of powerlessness community that comes together organically in a
people feel in the face of systemic oppression. In specific place with the goal of transformation.
our classes, we structured various small group On the other hand, our experiences outside the
activities that ranged from mini activities to classroom, whether it be on a college campus, in
group projects. We believe students felt a a school of self-directed education, or as
42Daisaku Ikeda, “A Global Ethic of Coexistence: To- https://www.bharatsokagakkai.org/wp-content/up-
ward a ‘Life-Sized’ Paradigm for Our Age,” 5, loads/2017/08/peace2003.pdf .You can also read
