Empirically Defining Validation, Sense of Belonging, and Navigational Actions for

Students in Diverse Institutions: The Diverse Learning Environments Survey

Sylvia Hurtado, Ph.D.Marcela Cuellar

Chelsea Guillermo-WannPaolo Velasco

May 31, 2010Association for Institutional ResearchChicago, IL

A project funded by the Ford Foundation

Empirically examine innovative and established constructs in the Diverse Learning Environments pilot survey (DLE)◦General validation◦Validation by faculty in the Classroom◦Sense of belonging◦Navigational action

Goal: Establish constructs that can be used to empirically examine relationships with student outcomes

Purpose

Assist educators in advancing the success of diverse students

Assess undergraduate skills for work and citizenship in a pluralistic democracy

Create the conditions for realizing the benefits of diversity in the learning process

Increase retention rates and improve the assessment of retention

Research Project Purpose & Goals

Research:• Diverse Learning Environments Survey• Campus Case Studies of 8 Institutions• National Retention Study (Clearinghouse)

Practice:• Institute for the Critical Analysis of

Quantitative Data (July 13 – 15)• Diversity Research Institute (August 4 – 6)

Project Components

Review of the Literature

Sense of Belonging Validation Navigational Action &

Capital

Comprises cognitive and affective elements◦Cognitive level: information about experiences

with a group as a whole and other group members

◦Affective level: feelings that reflect the individual’s appraisal of their experiences with the group

(Bollen & Hoyle, 1990)

Original factor items◦ I feel a sense of belonging to …◦ I feel that I am a member of the … community◦ I see myself as part of the … community

Sense of Belonging

Utilized in higher education research as a psychological sense of integration◦ Illustrates the interplay between the individual

and the institution (Hurtado & Carter, 1997)

Original Bollen & Hoyle (1990) items modified to include broader concepts of cohesion

DLE uses the original construct

Sense of Belonging

Factors Influencing Sense of Belonging ◦ Perceptions of the campus climate for both white

and students of color (Hurtado et al, 2007; Locks et al, 2008)

◦ Positive interactions with diverse peers (Locks et al, 2008)

Different college predictors for different racial/ethnic groups◦Course-related faculty interaction, co-curricular

involvement, and perceptions of supportive residential environments (Inkelas et al, 2007)

Sense of Belonging Impacts Persistence (Hausmann et al, 2007)

Sense of Belonging

Validation “Validation is an enabling, confirming and

supportive process initiated by in- and out-of-class agents that foster academic and interpersonal development” (Rendón, 1994)

Differs from earlier theories on student persistence and learning (most notably Astin’s Theory of Involvement)

Validation Examples of invalidation Forms of validation◦Academic validation◦ Interpersonal validation

Occurs both in- and out-of-class Never empirically examined at a national

level DLE includes measures of both general

validation from faculty and staff and validation in the classroom

Validation Qualitative research has examined

validation Effects of validation on student experiences◦ Feel capable of learning◦Experience a feeling of self worth ◦ Feel that they, and everything that they bring to

the college experience, are accepted and recognized as valuable.

◦ Lacking validation, students feel crippled, silenced, subordinate, and/or mistrusted.

Navigation is critical for increasing academic goal attainment (AAC&U, 2002)

◦Equip students with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about appropriate routes for their academic goals (AAC&U, 2002)

◦Actions and requisite knowledge represent navigational capital (Yosso, 2005)

Students of color must develop academic resilience that enables them to navigate social institutions (Alva, 1991, Yosso, 2005; see Solorzano, Ceja & Yosso, 2000)

Navigational Action & Capital

Family & Community Support (Delgado Bernal, 2001; Solórzano &Villapando, 1998)

Peer & Faculty Support (Solórzano, Ceja, &Yosso, 2000; Solórzano & Delgado Bernal, 2001; Solórzano & Villapando, 1998)

Identifying Career Goals & Multiple Paths to It

Having a Mentor Joining an Ethnic Organization DLE items measure navigational actions

that demonstrate navigational capital at work◦ Includes individual and community agency for

students of color (Yosso, 2005)

Variables Related to Navigational Action & Capital

Integrated assessment of climate, diversity practice, and outcomes

Inclusive of diverse social identities

Modules targeting specific topics Longitudinal when linked with other student data (e.g. other CIRP surveys, registrar data, etc.)

Nationally available CIRP survey in Spring 2011

Diverse Learning Environments Pilot Survey

Core Survey Modules◦Classroom Climate◦Transition into the Major◦ Intergroup Relations◦Community College Students’ Transfer Pathway◦Transition Experiences for Transfer Students at

four-year Institutions

DLE Pilot Survey Components

Online administration between January – May 2010

14 institutions (9 represented in this analysis)◦1 - community college (Midwest)◦3 - four-year private institutions (West, Midwest,

East)◦5 - four-year public universities (West)

Target sample: cohorts of second year and third year students◦Some institutions chose to sample additional

cohorts

Data Collection

n = 3,306 undergraduate students Racial/ethnic demographics*◦Black – 6%◦Asian American/Asian/Pacific Islander – 19%◦ Latina/o – 19%◦White – 68%◦Native American – 6%◦Arab American/Arab – 2%◦Other – 2%

Student characteristics◦11% Frosh, 31% Soph, 32% Junior, 25% Senior

33% transfer and 9% re-entry students * Students could choose multiple categories

Sample

Structural Equation Modeling to conduct Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Partial correlations

Cross-tabulations

Data Analysis

Items Factor Loadings

I see myself as part of the campus community .91

I feel that I am a member of the campus community

.95

I feel a sense of belonging to my campus .81

Sense of Belonging (α = .92)

Model-Fit Results

χ² .000

df 0

NFI 1.000

Items Factor Loadings

Faculty empower me to learn here .50

At least one staff member has taken interest in my development

.88

Faculty believe in my potential to succeed academically

.76

Staff encourage me to get involved in campus activities

.49

Staff recognize my achievements .66

At least one faculty member has taken interest in my development

.89

General Validation (α = .86)

Model-Fit Results

χ² 458.7

df 9

CFI .93

Items Factor Loadings

Instructors were able to determine my level of understanding of course material

.76

Instructors provided me with feedback that helped judge my progress

.81

I feel like my contributions were valued in class .82

Instructors encouraged me to meet with them after or outside of class

.64

Instructors encouraged me to ask questions and participate in discussions

.72

I received recognition for my work .72

Classroom Validation (α = .88)

Model-Fit Results

χ² 390.23

df 9

CFI .94

Factor Sense of Belonging

General Validation

Validation in the Classroom

Sense of Belonging

--- .57** .37**

General Validation

.57** --- .59**

Validation in the Classroom

.37** .59** ---

Correlation between Factors

p < .01

Validation

Items Sense of Belonging

General

Class

Discussed career goals .06*** .08*** .04*

Attended professor’s office hours --- .06*** ---

Participated in study groups .05** --- ---

Creating a plan to achieve career goals .05** .04* .07***

Participated in faculty/mentor program --- .05** ---

Participated in the Ethnic or Cultural Center activities

.06*** .04* ---

Partial Correlations for Navigational Action

*** p < .001** p < .01

* p < .05

Validation

Items Sense of Belonging

General

Class

Upper class peers .08*** --- ---

Peers in your same year .08*** --- ---

Academic counselors --- -.08*** ---

Faculty .08*** .29*** .23***

Staff .09*** .09*** ---

Partial Correlations for Navigational Capital

*** p < .001** p < .01

* p < .05

How often have you sought support from the following to successfully complete college? (5 pt Likert scale: never, seldom, sometimes, often, very often)

Institutional Type Low Middle High

Community College

10% 69% 21%

Four-year public 18% 66% 16%

Four-year private 9% 68% 23%

General Validation Across Institutional Types

χ² = 62.85p < .001

Institutional Type Low Middle High

Community College

15% 61% 24%

Four-year public 20% 66% 14%

Four-year private 11% 70% 19%

Validation in the Classroom Across Institutional Types

χ² = 66.28p < .001

Empirically identified useful constructs of validation to capture student experience

Useful in revised conceptual models for retention and future research

Student navigational actions are related to validation and sense of belonging, empowering students to learn

Discussion

Seeking faculty support is key to increased general validation and within the classroom

Staff are often left out of frameworks, however, preliminary research indicates they are important

Frequent use of academic counselors appear to influence a lower sense of general validation

Peer networks are central to sense of belonging

Discussion

Final validation of these and other innovative DLE constructs

Develop studies examining relationships between these constructs and key student outcomes, e.g. retention

National launch of DLE survey through CIRP◦Spring 2011

Future Directions

Higher Education Research Institute http://www.heri.ucla.edu

Diverse Learning Environments Project Website: http://heri.ucla.edu/dle

Email: dleproject@gseis.ucla.eduPhone: 310-267-5930

Contact Us