Ed.D., Antioch University, 2024, Education

Loneliness was declared a national epidemic in May 2023 and an international global threat in November 2023. Sense of belonging, or lack thereof, can greatly contribute to loneliness. Students who feel a sense of belonging at their institution tend to be more engaged and experience higher success rates, which can lead to increased persistence and retention. The objective of this professional innovation dissertation was to investigate how inclusive and equitable teaching practices might increase sense of belonging for students in the learning environment. This study advocates for marginalized students, placing the responsibility for a change in learning environment back on the institution with a specific focus on teaching practices. Maslow's hierarchy of needs provides the foundation for sense of belonging. That hierarchy combined with the intersectionality framework emphasizes how students often have multiple identities, and the combination of identities can impact the way they engage in the learning environment. The transformative paradigm provides institutions with the lens to consider how changes in the learning environment are necessary to provide the types of support students need to be able to develop a sense of belonging. The professional development materials created in this dissertation suggest that critical self-reflection and transformative learning are necessary for faculty to gain an understanding of their students and provide the inclusive and equitable experience they need to develop a sense of belonging, overcoming barriers created by the institution and the complexity of having multiple identities. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Lesley Jackson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gary Delanoeye Ed.D. (Committee Member); Michelle Ramzan Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Higher Education