Inclusive Class Climate
Fostering belonging
Not all students feel at home in academia: many question their place in our classes, disciplines, and higher education in general. Helping students feel respected and valued can go a long way towards mitigating belonging uncertainty and promoting student success. Perceptions of belonging influence multiple aspects of the academic experience, including adjustment, motivation, engagement, grades, and retention.
We can help students strengthen their sense of belonging in a number of ways:
- Curating diverse course content and providing counter-stereotypical role models
- Using correct student names and pronouns
- Expressing interest in student contributions and progress
- Modeling inclusive language
- Employing identity safety cues (ISCs) to signal acceptance and counter identity threats
- Appropriately acknowledging difference and anticipating sensitive issues
- Encouraging peer-to-peer activities to help build support networks and foster community connections
Communicating high expectations and clear pathways to success
Students do better when instructors communicate faith in their abilities with regularity and enthusiasm. We can communicate belief in students’ capacity to meet high expectations in a number of ways: on the syllabus; in whole-class announcements; in individual communications; in the framing of assignments, assessments, and feedback; in reflection prompts and metacognitive assignments (a brief future-facing “How I earned an A in this course” reflection essay assigned on the first day of class is a popular example). We can also help students rise to high standards by providing scaffolded assignments, clear instructions, and regular formative feedback. Underscoring that everyone in the class can achieve course learning goals with appropriate work strategies and practice helps students understand and meet academic expectations.