How We See and How We Are Seen: A Study of the Perceptions of Academic Identity and Belonging of Students and Parents of Color
The purpose of my research was to understand how students of color in predominantly white institutions (PWI) developed their academic identity. I was specifically interested in how students saw themselves as students; how they thought their teachers, parents, and peers saw them as students; and how these perceptions shaped their academic identities. Research and statistics show that students of color are at an academic disadvantage in Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Education, 2019). For example, Black students constitute just 11% of the state’s student population but account for 40% of all disciplinary actions (Minnesota Department of Education, 2019). The overall 4-year graduation rate for white students in Minnesota is 88%. However, it is 67% for Black students. These inequities are also playing out in schools that are also racially segregated. One question that drove my research was how these inequities play out for students of color within PWIs. My research looked to understand the relationship between how parents felt they were seen by the school, how students felt they were seen by the school, and students’ and parents’ sense of belonging in PWIs.