A phenomenological approach to understanding Black graduate students’ sense of belonging to their program
Rayford, Taiylor
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120208
Description
Title
A phenomenological approach to understanding Black graduate students’ sense of belonging to their program
Author(s)
Rayford, Taiylor
Issue Date
2023-03-06
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Ruedas-Gracia, Nidia
Department of Study
Educational Psychology
Discipline
Educational Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Black
sense of belonging
graduate students
university
coping
Abstract
A sense of belonging is an important need for students in higher education. Unfortunately, Black students at PWIs struggle to develop and maintain a sense of belonging to the university. Moreover, there is limited information about the belonging of Black graduates and their sense of belonging outside of the university context. Using a phenomenological approach and inductive analyses, this project aimed to understand how Black graduate students are defining and experiencing a sense of belonging to their graduate program. The findings found that 1. The students defined a sense of belonging to feel authentic, respected, and supported. 2. The advisor relationship, imposter syndrome, and racial representation are the key factors that contribute to a sense of belonging, and 3. The students struggled in coping with feelings of nonbelonging. The implications are discussed.
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