WHO CARES ANYWAY? Reflections from California on youth empowerment, sense of belonging and student voice

Hi friends,

Welcome back to The Youth Empowerment Blog: Elevating Student Voices by me, Dr. Vee Kativhu. For our February article (I promise by number 3, we will be back on track), we are diving into why this blog matters and why we should even invest our time in exploring youth empowerment and student voice.

I promised I would back up claims, so we're going to be using the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association referencing system (APA) so that I can practice for my incoming dissertation writing.

Why write about this?

So, a fundamental question may remain with you at this point: why should we care about youth empowerment and students' sense of belonging in the first place? And how is it helpful in the long run? I have heard many people say that working on students' sense of belonging is a move away from the true purpose of education: to teach the 1+1 and be done. However, I disagree, for I do not see how our students can focus on their 1+1 if they do not feel they belong in the classroom or can succeed. Sense of belonging goes beyond just 'feeling good.' It moves towards enhancing academic experiences, reducing dropout rates, and ensuring students are equipped with the skills they need to succeed after graduation (Hoffman et al., 2002).

|| Sense of belonging goes beyond just feeling 'good'.

Sense of belonging:

Many researchers such as Ahn and Davies (2020) have identified sense of belonging as "one of the most significant factors in students' success and retention in higher education" (p.145) showing us that the stronger the sense of belonging, the higher the academic outcomes. In the worst-case scenarios, we see that students from racially underrepresented or first-generation backgrounds may perceive typical university challenges, i.e., poor grades or feeling lonely, as evidence that they do not fit in. This affects their confidence, which in turn affects their academic performance, and thus, students may find comfort in withdrawing from university entirely (Ostrove & Long, 2007).

Thus given that sense of belonging ranks so highly in student success (Ahn & Davies, 2020) it could be argued that the process begins during applications and admissions. If students feel disconnected, unworthy, or unwanted at that stage, it may affect how they interact with their institution thereafter (I assume). When conversations about access to higher education occur in the U.K there is often a long-observed myth of "Fair Access" to higher education for all. Educators and policy makers across the country frequently argue that we operate on a meritocratic basis, the notion that anyone from anywhere can make it into higher education if they just try hard enough.

|| Myth of 'fair access to education

Access to higher education:

However, researchers such as Boliver (2013) show this is not the case. In the U.K., simply having ambition, drive, and passion for your chosen degree does not qualify you to enter higher education on level ground with your peers, particularly in elite institutions. There are unwritten rules about race, class, and economic background that play a key role.

Boliver (2013) highlights how universities champion their work of eliminating barriers to university applications for students of all backgrounds. In theory, this appears to solve the issue, but in reality, it does little to address the inequities for true access to higher education. Eliminating barriers to university applications does little to ensure that the admissions process also observes the rules of 'fair access'.

Take places like Oxford or Cambridge for example, we see emphasis placed on access and outreach initiatives through programs such as UNIQ summer schools and more. However, we see less urgency placed on restructuring the admissions processes to ensure that all academically curious, talented, and passionate students can participate. As brilliantly put by Boliver (2013) we need "policy promotes not only equality of opportunity to apply but also equality of treatment in admissions" (p.358).

This direct quote from Boliver (2013) cuts to the heart of the matter, the heart of why I created this blog, for we cannot claim to support youth empowerment, student voice or fairer access to education while maintaining systems that create unequal outcomes at the admissions stages. True empowerment requires both equal opportunity to apply AND equal treatment during the selection process.

But to go even further, true access cannot be true access if what you are accessing is not true. What I mean by this is, even if we are to reorganize the application and admissions processes to ensure that they are fairer and more equitable for students' of all backgrounds, we need to ensure that the institutions we are sending them will also provide their experiences thereafter are embedded in these principles of fair access. When students enter environments where few people share their background or experiences, creating belonging requires intentional effort from both students and institutions. In other words, once they are in, are we able to keep them in?

How it impacts the work:

So, how am I going to use this information? This is precisely the work we want to do at Empowered By Vee, now known as EBV, where we work with higher education institutions to ensure they foster this crucial sense of belonging.

Researchers Soria and Stubblefield (2015) found that students who developed greater awareness of their own strengths and capabilities were more likely to feel like they belonged and complete their studies successfully. Meehan and Howells (2017) also highlight that this greater awareness becomes even more likely when these strengths are acknowledged by the curriculum.

At EBV, we believe in championing the stories and lived experiences of youth rather than their perceived deficits because this type of mindset shifting can bring a multitude of benefits, including an understanding of how to leverage their unique capabilities and thus enhance their sense of belonging even in situations where they are a minority. We help students understand how to tell their story, take up space, and thus enhance academic performance and personal well-being (Hoffman et al., 2002). Therefore, educational environments must help students identify and leverage their unique capabilities from their backgrounds and lived experiences.

But still, why?

Why should we care, Vee? This doesn't affect me or my students; our sense of belonging is doing just fine. Well, the beautiful thing here is that youth empowerment and belonging are not just issues exclusive to students from underrepresented backgrounds; these are issues that, if not addressed, will affect all education institutions across the globe. We are lowering the quality and character of academic systems if we do not ensure all students everywhere are equipped with the skills and environment to thrive.

If all students do not feel they belong, we create breeding grounds for imposter syndrome. As a result, we lose the diverse perspectives and talents that should enrich the learning experiences of everyone, not just students from underrepresented backgrounds.

|| We create the breeding grounds for imposter syndrome.

Conclusion:

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Remember, no judging me until article 6; I am still new at this and am just trying to get used to putting my thoughts on paper so I can show my thought processes more. For now, remember this: Youth empowerment matters not just because it feels good but because it tangibly impacts academic outcomes, institutional fairness, and the overall quality of education for all.

|| So, when we ask, "who cares anyway?" the only answer should be "all of us", all of us should care.

References:

Ahn, M. Y., & Davis, H. H. (2020). Students' sense of belonging and their socio-economic status in higher education: a quantitative approach. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(1), 136-149. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1778664

Boliver, V. (2013). How fair is access to more prestigious UK universities?. The British Journal of Sociology, 64(2), 344-364. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12021

Hoffman, M., Richmond, J., Morrow, J., & Salomone, K. (2002). Investigating "sense of belonging" in first-year college students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 4(3), 227-256.

Meehan, C., & Howells, K. (2019). In search of the feeling of 'belonging' in higher education: Undergraduate students transition into higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43(10), 1376-1390. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1490702

Ostrove, J. M., & Long, S. M. (2007). Social class and belonging: Implications for college adjustment. Review of Higher Education, 30(4), 363-389.

Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82-96.