Social Connectedness in Physical Isolation: Online Teaching Practices That Support Under-Represented Undergraduate Students’ Feelings of Belonging and Engagement in STEM

The COVID-19 outbreak spurred unplanned closures and transitions to online classes. Physical environments that once fostered social interaction community were rendered inactive. We conducted interviews administered surveys examine undergraduate STEM students’ feelings of belonging engagement while in physical isolation, identified teaching modes associated with these feelings. Surveys from a racially diverse group 43 students at Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) revealed interactive synchronous instruction was positively interest belonging, particularly for color, noninteractive reduced but related more cognitive engagement. Small one-on-one 23 suggest derived connectedness their instructors, peers, prior experiences relied on sense competency motivate themselves the course feel belonging. Two embedded cases physics classrooms are compared highlight range student during lockdown. Findings reaffirm tends support engagement, under-represented (Black or African American Hispanic) racial groups STEM. instructors who aim virtual learning should consider increasing opportunities student–student student–teacher interactions, as well taking flexible approach validates integrates voice into instruction. Future research is needed further explore themes relatedness emerged aspects