A Tale of Two Groups: Differences Between Minority Students and Non-Minority Students in their Predispositions to and Engagement with Diverse Peers at a Predominantly White Institution

Abstract

Using a revised version of the Transition to College Model (Locks et al. 2008, Rev High Educ 31(3), 257-285), this study examined the extent to which minority students and non-minority students differ in their predispositions to engage in campus-based diversity activities as well as in their engagement with ethnically diverse college peers at a predominantly White college. Findings indicate that engagement with diverse peers is a learned behavior; one that was shaped long before a student stepped into college. The importance of past interactions with diverse peers extends beyond freshman year predispositions to engage; students who interacted with diverse students prior to college were also more prone to report engagement with diverse peers at the end of their sophomore year. Notably, freshmen minority students were more predisposed to engage diverse peers next to their White peers; these ethnic-based differences, however, dissipated by the end of the sophomore year of college.Keywords Student engagement Á Diversity Á Adjustment to college Á Predisposition Á Pre-college Engagement matters (Astin 1993;Chang 1999;Kuh and Hu 2001;Milem et al. 2005). Student engagement during college is key to fostering positive interactions between peers and integrating them into the life and culture of a college campus (Braxton et al. 2004;Kuh and Hu 2001). Student engagement during the first year of college also correlates with advances in critical thinking in the classroom, persistence to the second year, and

Story Sharing in a Digital Space to Counter Othering and Foster Belonging and Curiosity among College Students

“…relationship. This is a potentially important finding, because it suggests that some level of instruction or guidance is necessary to teach students how to engage across difference, which aligns with existing research showing that engagement with diverse peers is a learned behavior (Hall et al, 2010) and that guidance is necessary to help students hone DML skills (Hargittai et al, 2010;Kahne & Bowyer, 2016) and increase sense of belonging and level of curiosity.…”

“…| 2019 | Journal of Media Literacy Education 11(2), 56 -78 media spaces and engage and build relationships with those who are different from them (Hall, Cabrera, & Milem, 2010).…”

“…Interaction with diverse others early in college can also shatter stereotypes, decrease prejudice, increase understanding, strengthen student satisfaction, and improve cognitive learning outcomes (Smith & Schonfeld, 2000). Research indicates that such engagement is a learned behavior (Hall et al, 2010). Therefore, interventions, such as a relational micro-intervention across difference, may be best implemented by community college administrators, faculty, or staff, who can provide students with support, guidance and instruction.…”

The Impact of Personal Interactions on the Experience of African American Males on Multiracial Student Teams

“…Self-disclosure is one mechanism to support the development of positive personal interactions among students on a multiracial student team and the development of cross-race friendships [16] . Finally, the result of this study supports other research that found that personal interactions, including engagement regulation, are a learned behavior [17] . In the current study, the participants learned to socialize with multiracial student team members outside of the project and these interactions definitely impacted their perceptions of their team experiences.…”

Building institutional capacity for college access and success: Implications for enrollment management

“…Early engagement in the campus community has been shown to matter more for the historically underrepresented student than any other college student population (Becker et al, 2010;Terenzini et al, 1994;Titus, 2006). In addition to involvement with clubs and organizations, two engagement environments have been noted as particularly important for this student population; namely, learning communities and service learning (Astin, 1993;Hall et al, 2011. Participation in learning activities provides social support for students using a cohort-based model of learning.…”