Communicatively Enhancing Belonging by Meeting the Motivations of First-Generation College Students in the Classroom

First-generation college students’ (FGCS) experiences can be accompanied by lower senses of belonging when compared to continuing-generation college students (CGCS). This article explores some instructional communication best practices for supporting belongingness by meeting the motivations of FGCS with phrasings, framings, and designs of course content that might cultivate resonance with that which drives students. Specifically, strategies are discussed for meeting the motivations of FGCS as they might be shaped by imposter syndrome, negative affect, and orientations toward upward mobility.