Finding peers “like me”: Student strategies for increasing belonging and flourishing in STEM

This mixed-methods study examined the role of belonging and flourishing in the college experiences of undergraduate students from communities historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Qualitative findings show that students engaged in strategies to find and develop peer relationships to facilitate their sense of belonging in their STEM major/discipline. Findings from a larger quantitative dataset of undergraduate students reveal an important relationship between sense of belonging in an academic domain and flourishing. Data underscores the critical role of belonging, including feelings of acceptance and membership (e.g. feeling inside the community of one's STEM major), and the potential that students who feel they belong in their majors are more likely to also report thriving in their discipline. • Students engage in individual strategies to find peers like them in their majors • Peer relationships facilitate students' sense of belonging to academic domains in STEM • There is a strong relationship between sense of belonging and flourishing