ERIC Number: ED649358
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 108
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3529-6289-3
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Sense of Belonging for Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Postsecondary Education
Christine Scholma
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Gwynedd Mercy University
An increase in postsecondary education programming for students with intellectual disabilities in the United States has prompted a need for exploring a variety of aspects of the student experience. A sense of belonging has long been established as a basic need rooted in relationship that produces benefits for those experiencing belonging and detriment for those who are not. Because students with intellectual disabilities have not traditionally engaged the academic setting of institutions of higher education, it is important to examine how students with intellectual disabilities are experiencing belonging on campus. This study explores research question: How do students with intellectual disabilities experience a sense of belonging in postsecondary education? Replicatory case study methodology elicited the perspective of students with intellectual disabilities currently enrolled in postsecondary education. Five students with intellectual disabilities participated in individual interviews to share their lived experiences related to a sense of belonging in postsecondary education. Interview data was analyzed through coding and categorization, leading to an emergent pyramid model. The findings indicated that at the base of the pyramid, an inclusive campus culture establishes a foundation for developing a sense of belonging. The middle tier represents the broad range of supports in postsecondary education vital to the development of belonging for students with intellectual disabilities. The top tier comprises the three ways that the participants experienced a sense of belonging in postsecondary education: friendships, involvement, and pursuit of life goals. Through this research, students with intellectual disabilities give voice to the experience of belonging in postsecondary education, adding to the body of knowledge, and paving the way for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Students with Disabilities, Intellectual Disability, Student Experience, Sense of Community, Group Unity, College Students, Campuses, School Culture
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A