Sense Of Belonging Of Indian International Students At A Historically Black College And University

Author

Ruchika Gupta, Prairie View A&M University

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Discipline

Education Leadership

Abstract

This convergent mixed methods study composed of autoethnography and ethnography, explored the experiences of six Indian international students at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). While rich research exists regarding challenges faced by international students in terms of their sense of belonging in American colleges and universities, relatively little research had been conducted related to challenges specifically experienced by Indian international students. Furthermore, no studies looked at challenges experienced by Indian international students specifically at HBCUs. Instead, the studies focused on Indian international students at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs).

Drawing upon Tinto’s (1993) Model of Institutional Departure, the present study contended that, in addition to formal academic elements, Indian international students at HBCUs required informal academic elements in the form of healthy faculty/staff interactions and peer-group interactions for success in the classroom. This perspective aligned with Goodenow’s (1993) perspective, who highlighted the prime importance of a healthy sense of belonging in all students, and a need to feel accepted by, included by, and connected to their institutions. Open coding of the six interview transcripts, one of which included my own, yielded four themes regarding the experiences that influenced the sense of belonging at a HBCU: (1) With respect to “being accepted,” half of the respondents reported clique-like behavior by African American classmates; (2) With respect to “being valued,” the majority of respondents exclusively or primarily reported having African American classmates who were supportive and friendly and valued their input; (3) With respect to “being encouraged,” two-thirds of respondents exclusively reported that the HBCU’s instructors supported their efforts and made them feel welcome; and (4) With respect to “being included,” two-thirds of respondents mentioned strategies for making connections with classmates and instructors within the HBCU classroom. The themes and subthemes indicated potential areas of further improvement for this HBCU in terms of supporting the sense of belonging of its Indian international student population.

Keywords: sense of belonging, Indian international students, HBCU, Historically Black College or University, culturally responsive teaching, diversity

Committee Chair/Advisor

Douglas S. Hermond

Committee Member

Stella L. Smith

Committee Member

William H. Parker

Committee Member

Cleveland O. Lane Jr.

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

Date of Digitization

06-03-2025

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Gupta, R. (2025). Sense Of Belonging Of Indian International Students At A Historically Black College And University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-dissertations/116