Edinburgh Napier University

  A sense of belonging has been identified in salient literature as associated with a number of positive outcomes for students in HE, yet research charts a ‘loss of community’ (see: Boyer, 1990) over time. It follows that enhancing belonging and community in HE has emerged as both a puzzle and an area of thematic priority for practice, research and quality enhancement bodies, particularly in challenging times (Campbell, 2019; Gopalan et al., 2021). What is lacking from the research landscape is an account of what community and belonging means within criminological higher education. This session will offer insight as to why we feel they are of particular concern for students studying on these programmes (Haddow & Brodie, 2023c).
This session will share an ongoing programme of research from Edinburgh Napier University in the area of student belonging and mattering, focusing on 3 projects which explore this in a variety of contexts. Our research on students’ learning experiences examines how assessment and feedback approaches can enhance belonging and mattering, and we share a roadmap for assessment design based on our findings (Haddow & Brodie, 2023a). Beyond the classroom, we examine how extra-curricular activities which foster new student-staff communities can create a sense of belonging. This work has informed our model of authentic belonging enhancement (Haddow & Brodie, 2023b). Our upcoming project places these experiences in the wider socio-economic context, to consider how students face the challenges that an economic down turn has ushered, exploring the question - can I truly afford to belong at University in a cost of living crisis?
While exploring how belonging is achieved in and shaped by these learning, social, and wider contextual experiences, the session will focus on the implications for students in criminology and criminal justice focused education. It will conclude with a call for more research and innovation which explores and supports community and belonging within the disciplinary context.