Belonging as Infrastructure for Academic Self-Efficacy: Students’ Perceptions on the Interdependence of Belonging and Belief

Using qualitative data from a longitudinal, mixed-methods case study, this study examined (a) students’ perceptions of the relationship of self-efficacy and sense of belonging and (b) belonging-related elements of learning environments that influence self-efficacy in engineering. Findings show the co-constituted nature of self-efficacy (SE) and sense of belonging (SB) within engineering learning environments. Students perceive SE as critical for SB in engineering, while belonging-infused learning environments provide infrastructure for SE to develop. Implications include the need to conceptualize SE as a component of SB in academic contexts as well as pedagogical strategies that promote SB.