Fostering Students' Sense of Belonging

Webinar Overview

Feeling like one belongs in academic settings is known to have a significant impact on academic performance and resilience (Walton & Cohen, 2007, 2011). Being part of a group for which a negative stereotype exists can lead to feeling belonging uncertainty which, in turn, can cause performance-impairing anxiety, known as stereotype threat (Steele, 1997). In this presentation, we will explore research on belonging and stereotype threat and what educators can do improve students’ sense of belonging, especially during key transitions when belonging concerns can escalate.

About Your Instructor:

Jacquie Beaubien, Ed.D.
Independent Consultant

Jacquie Beaubien is an independent consultant with expertise in the psychology of learning and motivation. She spent 7 ½ years working with top researchers at Stanford University’s PERTS lab (Project for Education Research That Scales) and educators across the country on translating research into practice in order to improve student motivation and achievement. Her work has, from the beginning, prioritized building collaborative relationships with education partners and deepening researchers’ understanding of education stakeholders needs and practical constraints. Her current areas of focus include: creating more scalable, evidence-based and evidence-generating learning opportunities for educators; identifying and disseminating the practical wisdom of educators on improving student motivation and achievement; and increasing awareness for the value of social psychology research on motivation, particularly for new teachers. She recently completed her Ed.D in at UCLA.