Belonging in Online Synchronous Classrooms: Experiences of Minoritized Students in Dutch Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: Education sciences Vol. 13; no. 10; p. 986
• Main Authors: Korthals Altes, Tisja, Muftugil-Yalcin, Seda, Slootman, Marieke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2023
• Subjects: College campuses; Course Content; COVID-19; Deep learning; Distance learning; Education, Higher; Educational Environment; Epidemics; Extracurricular activities; Higher education; inclusion in education; Inclusive education; Learner Engagement; minoritized students; Netherlands; Online Courses; online education; Online instruction; Pandemics; Peers; School Holding Power; sense of belonging; Social aspects; Stereotypes; Student participation; Student retention; Students; Success; Teachers; Teaching; Netherlands
• ISSN: 2227-7102; 2227-7102
• DOI: 10.3390/educsci13100986

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education in many countries suddenly moved online. The sudden move to online education forced teachers to adapt their teaching to an online context. The concept of belonging has been described as the next evolution of, and a characteristic that is central to, inclusion. Many have argued that inclusion can never be truly achieved without the presence of belonging. In this paper we ask important questions, such as how does the move to online education, with its lack of personal cues and heightened anonymity, influence minoritized students’ sense of belonging? What is the role of the sense of belonging for inclusion in education? From our data about the minoritized student experiences of belonging in online classrooms, three patterns emerged. (1) The most dominant experience was that the lack of connection in online classrooms reduced students’ sense of belonging. (2) In a few instances, however, the lack of connection and the heightened anonymity of online classrooms led to an increased sense of belonging and safety in online classrooms. (3) However, not all students experienced the switch to online education as a major change.