A Sense of Belonging Among College Students With Disabilities: An Emergent Theoretical Model

Authors

Annemarie Vaccaro, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Meada Daly-Cano, University of Rhode Island
Barbara M. Newman, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

10-2015

Abstract

Higher education research suggests that the development of a sense of belonging is key to academic success and persistence, yet we know little about how first-year students with disabilities develop a sense of belonging as they transition into and through their first year in postsecondary environments. Themes from a grounded theory study of 8 college students, most of whom had invisible disabilities, provided the foundation for an emerging model of belonging. Student narratives suggest there are interconnections between the development of a sense of belonging, self-advocacy, social relationships, and mastery of the student role for first-year students with disabilities.

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Vaccaro, A., Daly-Cano, M., & Newman, B. M. (2015). A Sense of Belonging Among College Students With Disabilities: An Emergent Theoretical Model. Journal of College Student Development, 56(7), 670-686. doi: 10.1353/csd.2015.0072

Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/csd.2015.0072

Publisher Statement

Copyright ©2015 ACPA – College Student Educators International (ACPA)