Making meaning of the hidden curriculum: Translating wise interventions to usher university change.

What does it mean to belong? An interdisciplinary integration of theory and research on belonging

“…Within these relational spaces, cultural factors—language, expressions, traditions, practices, and habits—play a key role in determining place‐belongingness, as they convey particular meanings about the relational space (see also peoplehood sense of belonging framework, Tachine et al., 2017). These factors can take the form of tacit codes, lessons, practices, and rules about how to be a “good” student within that context, otherwise known as the hidden curriculum (Collier & Morgan, 2008; Fryberg & Markus, 2007; Jack, 2016; Laiduc & Covarrubias, 2022; Ramirez et al., 2021; Smith, 2013; Stephens et al., 2014; Yee, 2016). A politics of belonging lens reveals how, again, students with more systematic access to privileged forms of cultural capital—or cultural knowledge and understandings of how to enact these hidden norms—reap greater benefits, including a sense of fit, than those with less access (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977; Langhout & Mitchell, 2008; Lareau, 2015; Margolis et al., 2001; Yosso, 2005).…”

“…For example, social capital characterizes the social relations and networks that serve as critical resources for success (Azmitia et al., 2009; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977; Coleman, 1988; Cooper, 2011; Yosso, 2005). A politics of belonging reveals how privileged access to critical social resources and networks, like cultural guides (e.g., mentors, parents) who are familiar with the college setting, affords greater ability to maneuver through institutional spaces and challenges and to feel a sense of place within those institutions (Cooper, 2011; Jack, 2016; Laiduc & Covarrubias, 2022; Lareau, 2015; Yee, 2016). Institutional efforts can include recognizing the social capital that marginalized students already possess, including deep ties to home communities, and leveraging these ties for enhanced learning (Covarrubias, 2021; Covarrubias et al., 2022; Rios‐Aguilar et al., 2011; Tachine et al., 2017; Takimoto et al., 2021; Yosso, 2005).…”

“…To foster place‐belongingness, then, requires attention to unmasking and undoing these forms of cultural privileging. One strategy is to decode the rules of the game for students in ways that equip them to play the game (Delpit, 1995; Laiduc & Covarrubias, 2022; Stephens et al., 2014). Exposing first‐generation students of color to brief, theoretically‐informed videos detailing how to concretely access various campus resources boosted grades after a year compared to students who did not receive this concrete information (Ramirez et al., 2021).…”

Developing Purposeful and Motivated Learners using UDL

“…Each university has a unique set of norms and behaviors related to expectations of students, such as when to attend office hours or ask for help. Laiduc and Cobarrubias (2022) emphasize that neglecting to make explicit the hidden curriculum negatively affects minoritized students.…”

“…Through the lens of UDL, engagement seeks to create purposeful and motivated learners by offering multiple options to recruit learners’ interest, support sustained effort and persistence, and scaffold self‐regulation. This can benefit a variety of minoritized students, a category that includes first generation students, working‐class students, and students of color (Laiduc & Cobarrubias, 2022), by valuing their cultural backgrounds and future aspirations. This column presents a few discrete UDL engagement interventions that can work across learning contexts.…”