Engineering Student Belonging To Prevent Early Leavers Through Curriculum Decolonization, Academic Self-Concept, And Psychologically Safe Teamwork

The proportion of early leavers from engineering degrees closely follows the higher education sector throughout Europe; around 10% leave before graduation. Students are more likely to drop-out if they do not feel that they belong in the learning community. While research shows that academic achievement is a primary factor contributing to student drop-out, other student-centric social factors, such as belonging are equally important to student drop-out rates within higher education. The aim of this paper is to present a model constructed on student belonging. The model consists of 3 pillars, namely academic self-concept & professional identity, psychologically safe teamwork, and decolonisation. The study was based on the development and continuous refinement of interventions that could assist students with feeling a sense of belonging. While the primary intention of this project is to present a body of work that highlights belonging as a contributing factor that may be pivotal to a student remaining in higher education or dropping out, readers will also learn about how best to support students in gaining a sense of belonging through self-concept, providing safe teamwork and by decolonising the curriculum.