First-Year Chemistry Connections: Social Bonds and Disciplinary Belonging

First-year chemistry courses play a pivotal role in shaping student success within science programs, yet they are often characterized by high stakes, large enrollments, and considerable academic challenges. This study explores first-year science students’ sense of belonging across two dimensions: social belonging within the classroom and disciplinary belonging within the field of chemistry. Using a grounded theory approach, we collected data through semistructured interviews and analyzed transcripts using open and axial coding followed by iterative thematic development. Through constant comparison, we constructed a conceptual framework illustrating how belonging emerges from the dynamic interplay between the individual (the student as a system) and their surroundings (including instructors, peers, and context). Our findings suggest that belonging is experienced as a blend of inclusion and the development of professional identity. This preliminary, empirically grounded model offers insights into how first-year chemistry students in this institutional context experience belonging and identity and is intended to inform future studies and practice rather than to generalize across all settings.