SUPPORTING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE FIELD

Sense of belonging is an essential component of all learning experiences. The field is a particularly complex time for belonging as it involves a blending of “in class” and “out of class” behaviors, informal interactions, new spaces and environments, and the formation of unique class cultures. Using a mixed methods multiple case study, we collected data on sense of belonging from instructors and students in eight residential field courses in geoscience and biology. Quantitative survey data indicate that students with disabilities in our study finished field courses with significantly lower belonging to both the course and the field station than students who did not self-identify as having a disability. Interviews with a subset of students on these courses offer qualitative insight into their lived experiences. Students described varying degrees of instructor awareness and willingness to provide accommodations for their needs. Students also pointed to challenges with field expectations and culture that hindered their full participation. Interviews with course instructors suggest that though instructors are largely aware of specific disabilities, some are not providing accommodations and/or feel they could be better equipped to support students. Data from our more broadly implemented faculty survey indicate that only 33% of field instructors plan their course with possible accommodations in mind. Practices that students and instructors identified as supportive of belonging include offering direct avenues to request accommodations, co-developing community agreements, providing comprehensive orientation materials, noticing and checking in on students, highlighting diverse role models, implementing mental health and meditation content, and affirming student place in the disciplinary community. We recommend that instructors work to more proactively support students with disabilities in the field, and above all else, maintain an open dialogue with their students to understand their lived experiences and needs.