Schools reflect society and societies reflect the schooling of their citizens. Amidst the COVID Pandemic, the failures of many nations to respond effectively and in an equitable manner have been on display for the world. The authors highlight the failure of neoliberal educational policies to create compassionate societies and propose a radical…

Following the gradual post-COVID-19 return of international student flows, it is important to examine how higher education institutions and international students are reacting to their new environment and how they relate to each other. Central to this relationship is the concept of "belonging"; what it means for international students,…

Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Islamophobia became increasingly visible across the U.S, impacting anyone perceived to be Muslim. Despite being named after a religion, Islamophobia is a racial ideology predominantly targeting people of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) descent. In this qualitative study, the…

In addition to demographic characteristics, it is important to understand how the location of prior educational experiences may impact adjustment for international students. Indeed, international students who graduate from high school outside their home countries are assumed to have easier college adjustments than others due to their previous…

Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Islamophobia became increasingly visible across the U.S, impacting anyone perceived to be Muslim. Despite being named after a religion, Islamophobia is a racial ideology predominantly targeting people of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) descent. In this qualitative study, the…

Faculty development programs in higher education frequently focus on educational practices advancing diversity, inclusion, and student success. They also usually address how to handle tense class disruptions arising over controversial topics. What faculty development programs usually fail to tackle, however, are fundamental questions of belonging.…

Large number of existing studies employ acculturation as the framework to explore Chinese international students (CIS), which recently have been criticized from post-colonial perspectives (Spencer-Oatey et al., 2007; Tierney, 1999; Yao, 2015). With Gen Z Chinese international students step into American higher institutions, this study aims to…

Although researchers have shown interest in international students regarding their academic performance and on-campus lives since the 1990s, their off-campus lives have received less attention. After a period of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are resuming social activities and connections, and international students are…

This study speaks to the larger question of how mobile upbringing that spans tensions between multiple communities across the globe influences one's construction of identity and belonging. In this paper, I examine how young adults who have been living in multiple countries in their formative years- most prominently referred to as Third Culture…

Students from marginalized religious backgrounds face myriad challenges on college and university campuses, and negative effects are especially pronounced for Muslim students. Wearing hijab can put college students at a greater risk of marginalization amidst a climate of Islamophobia. Although there is a growing body of research on Muslim college…

Purpose: This study identifies gendered disparities among women students participating in work-integrated learning and explores the effects of the disparities on their perceptions on perceived opportunities, competencies, sense of belonging, and professional identity. Design/methodology/approach: A series of semi-structured focus groups were run…

A sense of belonging has been shown to enhance retention and degree completion among undergraduate students. Helping students feel a sense of belonging in a community should be a focus of today's educators. In professions, such as public health, that seek to address global issues that affect people around the world, feeling connected to a global…

In this article, the authors critique the common approach used to study the effectiveness of technological interventions for raising students' sense of belonging. Two studies are reviewed, one used Facebook groups and the other used a makerspace. Both studies primarily failed to include any variable that measures the extent of student involvement…

The purpose of this qualitative meta-narrative was to explore the experiences of Black college women with natural hair on a predominantly white (PWI) college campus using intersectionality theory. Six self-identified Black college women with natural hair participated in this study. Three major findings emerged from this study: (a) interpersonal…

In this research, structural equation modeling and TIMSS data were employed to examine the impact of school belonging on math achievement among secondary students in Japan, Korea, and the United States, with a focus on the roles of math attitude and disorderly behavior. Utilizing SmartPLS 4.0, the study delved into the reliability and validity of…