Feeling a sense of belonging in a learning environment can have positive effects on student success. The impact of this psychosocial variable on undergraduates’ achievement and retention has been demonstrated in STEM disciplines, especially for women within physical sciences where large disparities in gender representation persist. The current study explores the relationship between belonging and student success in undergraduate chemistry, where greater gender parity has recently emerged. In particular, this research investigates the belonging of first-year students enrolled in a two-semester General Chemistry course sequence. The study begins by examining whether students’ early sense of belonging in the course, indexed by two survey measures (perceived belonging, belonging uncertainty) varies depending on their demographics and academic preparation. The belonging measures are then used as predictors of performance in General Chemistry 1 and 2 and attrition from one semester to the next. Paralleling research in other STEM disciplines, the results show that female students, especially those from underrepresented minority groups, reported lower belonging and higher uncertainty than male students within the first weeks of the course. After accounting for demographics, preparation, and participation in a course supplemental program, the belonging measures predicted performance and attrition for all students. These findings suggest that course-level belonging in General Chemistry can have practical consequences for student success, and early disparities in belonging may have downstream effects on the retention of women and other groups underrepresented in STEM. Strategies for creating an inclusive and engaging environment that supports the success of all students are discussed.

中文翻译：

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属于普通化学领域的学生可以预测一年级学生的表现和损耗

在学习环境中感到归属感会对学生的成功产生积极影响。在STEM学科中，已经证明了这种社会心理变量对大学生的成就和保留率的影响，特别是对于性别代表性仍然存在巨大差异的物理科学领域的女性。当前的研究探索了本科化学中归属感和学生成功之间的关系，最近出现了更大的性别均等现象。尤其是，这项研究调查了在两个学期的“普通化学”课程序列中入学的一年级学生的归属。该研究首先检查学生在课程中的早期归属感，并通过两种调查指标（感知归属感，归属不确定性）取决于他们的人口统计和学术准备。然后将相应的度量用作通用化学1和2以及从一个学期到下一个学期的损耗的性能预测指标。在其他STEM学科的平行研究中，结果显示，在课程的最初几周内，女学生，尤其是来自代表性不足的少数族裔的女学生，其归属感和不确定性均高于男学生。在考虑了人口统计因素，准备情况和参加课程补充计划后，所属指标将预测所有学生的表现和损耗。这些发现表明，“普通化学”课程中的课程所属水平可能会对学生的成功产生实际影响，早期的归属差距可能会对保留在STEM中的女性和其他群体的下游影响。讨论了创建一个包容各方且引人入胜的环境以支持所有学生成功的策略。