Authors: Cook-Sather, Alison; Seay, Khadijah
Source: Cambridge Journal of Education, DOI: 10.1080/0305764X.2021.1926926
Publication Type: Journal Article
Abstract: Research suggests that a sense of belonging is fundamental to students’ engagement, persistence and success in postsecondary education, and that racism systematically works against Black students experiencing these. Participating in student–faculty pedagogical partnership can foster a sense of belonging, contribute to culturally sustaining pedagogy, and redress harms experienced by minoritized postsecondary students. Using a conceptual framework informed by research on belonging, critical race theory and intersectionality and a methodology informed by a Black-Feminist and Womanist Research Paradigm, Black Girl Cartography and counterstorying, the authors analyze responses to an ethics-board-approved survey completed by 12 Black, female students at three US colleges. They situate that analysis by presenting their conceptual framework, defining pedagogical partnership, and describing the pedagogical partnership programs. They focus on how the students who responded to their survey describe perceiving, feeling, and engaging differently as a result of participating in pedagogical partnership, and they conclude with recommendations for practice.