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Education Development Toolkit

An Inclusivity Theme Page

The fostering a sense of belonging logo: four hands of different colours pointing towards each other.

Fostering a sense of belonging

Belonging is the sense of being valued and accepted within a community. On this page you will read about how you can support belonging and community in Higher Education, by enabling students to see themselves in the curriculum, through effective transition support, and by challenging the hidden curriculum. It is for anyone who is teaching or supporting students, in any role. 

It aligns to the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2024) overall requirement for ‘effective and inclusive practice’, and in particular to Professional Values V1: Respecting individual learners and groups of learners, and V2: promoting engagement in learning and equity of opportunity. It also enables application of K1: ‘how learners learn’, and K2: ‘Approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning’. You can read more about actively seeking, listening and responding to student voices, for K3: critical evaluation, in the ‘evaluation’ section of this toolkit. 

The Inclusive Education Enhancement model has a number of areas of focus for fostering a sense of belonging and diversity, to further support your self-reflection and development.  

You can develop your understanding of Inclusive Education by engaging with our related workshops, which are available asynchronously, to take in your own time, and can be followed by a live workshop (with enough demand), or a bespoke meeting with the lead to discuss application to your practice. Find out more on the Cardiff LTA CPD page. 

Creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where all students feel they belong is central to Cardiff University’s Strategy, ‘Our Future, Together’. By embedding a sense of belonging, or Cynefin—a Welsh term for belonging and sense of place—into our practices, we aim to ensure all students thrive academically, socially, and personally.  

Understanding Belonging

Research shows that students with a strong sense of belonging in higher education are more motivated, persistent, and academically successful (Meehan & Howells, 2017; Gillen-O’Neel, 2019).  Representation and understanding increase student engagement and satisfaction (Good et al., 2012), and recognising how diverse characteristics (such as social class, ethnicity, disability, gender identity) intersect helps us support underrepresented students more effectively (Haddow & Brodie, 2023). 

Read more in this short blog on Building Student Belonging by Dr Helen Webster or listen to this podcast on Belonging from the ‘Talking Learning and Teaching’ Spotify page. 

1. Recognising and celebrating the diverse university community and enabling students to see themselves represented in the curriculum.

Creating an inclusive environment means actively recognising and celebrating the diversity within our community. Representation in the curriculum allows students to see themselves valued in the academic setting. By embracing and representing varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, for example in images, case studies or discussions, students can bring their whole selves to their learning, enhancing their engagement and sense of belonging (Thomas, 2012). 

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What do the students say? What my school does well:

‘They let you choose the topic for assessments and essays. There is a range to choose from. The first few assignments were based on who we were and our backgrounds. I think the first one was about place and space, acknowledging who we were and our cultural, educational and lived experiences.’

Watch Carin Taylor’s (24 March 2022) TEDxSonomaCounty talk ‘Belonging, A Critical Piece of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’’:

Astudiaeth Achos

Astudiaeth achos:  Canllawiau arferion da wrth ddatblygu darpariaeth addysgol ac addysgu mewn iaith leiafrifol mewn prifysgolion. 

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Crafting an Inclusive Classroom (Armstrong 2011)

Close the Barn Door: be proactive in demonstrating values around inclusivity. For example write syllabi statements that require respectful behaviour, and set rules for project work, which discuss avoiding stereotyped behaviour in teamwork.

Pick It Up and Carry It: If you want your classroom to be inclusive, then include! For example, learn how to pronounce names correctly, learn where the international student who assists you in your research lab is from, and/or learn when this year’s religious festivals are.

Work to Surrender Your “Privilege of Unknowing”: power has the luxury of not-seeing what surrounds it. Take into account that experiences you may carelessly cite as universal are not necessarily shared.

Home is Where the Comfort Zone Is: Naming and understanding the characteristics of your own disciplinary world as a culture, and learning how that specific culture may impact the experience of your (different) students, can help you include all students better. For example, you might find the course material or activities, that once seemed so completely neutral to you are not quite as unbiased as you once thought.

Ask for Feedback:  Feeling gutsy? Ask students how they have experienced the climate in your course.

The deep dive section provides good practice guidance in developing educational provision and teaching in a minoritised language in universities.

Belonging: the relationship between Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a significant role to play in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within their institutions, and in championing freedom of speech and academic freedom. In doing so, HEIs strive to foster mutual respect, understanding, and tolerance to create an environment that encourages the free exchange of lawful ideas and perspectives, while also promoting inclusion and belonging for all staff and students. 

Advance HE has recently published this document: Embedding Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | Advance HE regarding Higher Education’s responsibilities and commitment to freedom of speech and inclusion. 

HEIs, like all public authorities, are required by the Equality Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty to give due regard to the need to foster ‘good relations’ between protected groups. While the term has fallen out of use somewhat, it is a useful concept to return to, in a period of so-called ‘culture wars’. 

Special legal status applies to the promotion and protection of free speech and enquiry within HE. This means institutions need to support scholarship and learning that engages with a wide range of political, social, religious, economic and scientific views, regardless of how unpopular, controversial or provocative these views may be. Alongside this, institutions have a legal duty to ensure that staff, students and others who engage with the institution are protected from unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and that good relations between individuals and groups are facilitated without restricting lawful free speech. (Advance HE 2024: https://advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/promoting-good-relations-higher-education-guidance) 

Student transitions.

Supporting diverse students in their transition to higher education is essential, especially as more non-traditional students are joining our community. Successfully managing these transitions requires a coherent approach that recognises our student population’s diversity. Transition is an ongoing process throughout the student life cycle (Thomas, 2012). 

The University has made a SharePoint site for transition resources. This new site contains guidance and resources, especially for teaching undergraduate students in the first semester. 

Transition is more than just the first 2 weeks, it is an ongoing process; in, through, and out of the university: 

  • In: Supported by: Induction activities, creating a sense of belonging, and exploring and co-creating academic customs, expectations and practices 
  • Through: Supported by: Academic development and support, alongside pastoral support and personal development opportunities 
  • Out: Supported by: Personal and academic development opportunities and career planning 
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Top Tips from Students

re arrival support 

‘Being able to connect with the wellbeing and disability teams before beginning of my studies eased a lot of my worries’

‘Before joining the university, I remember receiving a lot of information across a very short space of time. If the correspondence had been spread across a longer period, that might have helped me feel more gradually welcomed into the university and less overwhelmed with all the information’

 Learn our names

‘When I first joined, one lecturer spent the first 5 minutes walking around the lecture theatre, introducing themselves to each student and asking them their name and where they were from. This meant a lot and was much better than just standing at the front and addressing the room.’

 The power of an ice breaker

‘Group discussions and icebreaker activities at the start of the semester helped me connect with classmates and build confidence.

 Signposting to services

‘Ensure students are signposted to the correct services and support in the first few weeks by personal tutors/ welcome pack.’

 Drop in sessions

 ‘As a first-generation student from an area with low HE uptake, I felt that I was left in the dark regarding some of the cultural norms within universities on a broad scale. Perhaps some drop-in sessions for students from backgrounds’

Practical Strategies for supporting student transitions:

  • Personalised welcome communications: Use welcome emails, videos, and social media to introduce students to Cardiff’s community 
  • Inclusive induction activities: Design induction events that facilitate social connections and clarify academic expectations, addressing unspoken norms early. Early collaborative assignments or small-group projects in the induction week encourage social integration and lay the groundwork for future group learning 
  • Peer-led social events allow new students to connect with experienced peers who can share insights. 
  • Interactive workshops on university culture: Sessions that demystify academic standards, unspoken norms, and assessment expectations can ease academic transition.  
  • Regular check-ins by academic advisors: Scheduled check-ins throughout the academic year provide students with consistent support.  
  • Peer mentorship programmes: Assigning mentors from similar backgrounds or disciplines creates a support network. 
  • Community-building events across the year: Offering social and academic events beyond induction, such as guest lectures, themed discussions, or socials 
  • Signpost to careers advice and Student Futures 
  • Check awareness of graduate attributes and ways of articulating their skills, in relation to the degree, in CVs and interviews 

The Hidden Curriculum

For some students, aspects of institutional practices and processes, and even language, inhibit the development of a sense of belonging. The hidden curriculum refers to the unspoken norms, values, behaviours, and expectations within academia.  

Making these explicit is essential for creating a supportive environment, particularly for first-generation students and other under-represented groups. There are significant challenges of the hidden curriculum, as it is seen to be the processes of social and cultural reproduction that serve to ensure the ‘preservation of existing social privilege, interests, and knowledge of one element of the population at the expense of less powerful groups’ (Hinchcliffe 2021: 30). 

The hidden curriculum impacts at the intersection between student life experiences and university education, as illustrated in Figure 1, below. 

Two circles labelled university education and one student life experiences. The circles are split into sense of belonging and rules of the game. Aspects of university education are: staff and student community, institutional culture and values, academic and pastoral support structures, assessment methods and disciplinary content and conventions. Aspects of student life experiences are personal characteristics such as ethnicity, gender disability, current circumstances and resources, cultural capital and support networks, independence and self-belief and previous educational experiences.

Figure 1: The Hidden Curriculum in Higher Education (Hinchcliffe 2021: 74)

Reducing the impact of the hidden curriculum can be done from either a deficit model or an inclusive standpoint. In the deficit model it is the responsibility of the student to adjust to the norms of the university. A more inclusive approach requires the university and its staff to adjust to accommodate the experiences and needs of the diverse student body, and to clearly articulate expectations where necessary, making the hidden curriculum transparent to all students. 

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Student voice on the hidden curriculum:

‘As an international and neurodivergent student, the hidden curriculum is something I really struggle with, and it would be beneficial (for everybody) that these structures were explained and spoken about.' 

‘Many students, especially mature, international, or first-generation students, often struggle with the unspoken rules of university life (such as ... what's expected in seminars), how to build academic relationships, or where to find support. 

‘I wish more lecturers had addressed the hidden curriculum, as I feel that a lot of university culture revolves around the student deducing what is expected of them and failing – sometimes more than once – in order to learn what they are supposed to do ‘

‘Clear communication around expectations is key to student success. Providing detailed assessment instructions, discussing what strong work looks like, and explaining academic terms used in feedback (like critical analysis) can help students perform more effectively.’

Cardiff University Students 2025

Practical strategies for addressing the hidden curriculum

  1. Clear syllabus and assignment guidelines: Providing detailed syllabi and assignment rubrics that outline expectations for performance, assessment criteria, and success strategies can demystify academic standards.  
  2. Step-by-step guides for academic skills: Offer accessible resources or workshops that break down essential academic skills, such as critical thinking, research methods, and referencing.  
  3. Office Hours and academic advisor sessions: Encouraging students to meet with teaching staff and advisors can create a safe space for students to seek clarification on expectations, ask questions, or get feedback without judgment.  
  1. Avoid jargon and explain academic terms: Using accessible language in your learning material and in your communications helps all students understand academic content. Provide discipline-specific glossaries, definitions or offer context to help students grasp the language of the field. 
  2. Use multiple channels for information: Providing information through a mix of formats—written, visual, and oral—ensures that students receive messages in ways that suit different learning preferences.  

Reflective Activity:

What aspects of teaching practice in your schools:​

  • have unstated rules, expectations and norms of behaviour?​

  • rely on uncontested, taken-for-granted knowledge or experiences?​

Think about lectures, seminars, labs or practicals, induction sessions, independent study.

Where next? 

Link to other toolkit pages 

To learn more you can access the next two sections of the inclusivity theme: Empowering Students to Fulfil their Potential, and Developing Inclusive Mindsets. You can read more about compassionate communication and empathetic and compassionate pedagogy in the Teaching Approaches section. 

You can also read about inclusivity as applied to your practice in each section: Design; Teaching Approaches; Assessment and Feedback; and Collaboration. 

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