A multi-year study demonstrating how a scalable online belonging intervention significantly improves academic performance, pass rates, and retention among first-year engineering students.
Published: IEEE WEEF-GEDC 2024 · 1,800+ Engineering Students (2023–2024) · Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Based on the difference-education methodology proposed by Nicole Stephens and grounded in the family of wise interventions, the MDC is a brief, scalable online intervention designed to foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity among first-year engineering students. The 2023 cohort completed the MDC during the first weeks of semester. From 2024 onwards, the intervention was moved to the welcoming programme, reaching students before classes begin.
First-year students engage with five stories from senior students who share their diverse experiences, challenges, and personal growth during their transition to university. Available as text or video.
Students relate their own experiences to the stories, identify three ways the lessons could help them navigate university, and share three pieces of advice for future incoming students.
A comprehensive survey assessing perceptions, emotional impact, sense of belonging, appreciation of diversity, and attitudes towards seeking support.
Based on the work of Carol Dweck, the GM intervention helped students understand the difference between fixed and growth mindsets. Students completed James Anderson's Growth Mindset Continuum self-assessment and a reflective writing exercise on "20 Guidelines to Developing a Growth Mindset." Research suggests that combining a sense of belonging intervention with a growth mindset intervention may yield even greater impacts.
MDC participants consistently outperformed non-participants in Engineering Mathematics 115 across all student subgroups. Results from the 2023 cohort.
Percentage of students achieving a final mark of 50% or above — two-proportion z-test (α=0.05)
Mean final marks — two-sample t-test assuming equal variances (α=0.05)
Participation in the MDC intervention is correlated to improved academic performance across all student groups, regardless of generational or socioeconomic background. The intervention may help close the achievement gap, with the largest absolute improvement seen in first-generation students (+9.4 marks).
Retention is measured as the percentage of 2023 first-time entry students still enrolled at the university in 2024. Two-proportion z-test (α=0.05).
Students completing both interventions achieved the highest retention rates of any group.
The combination of belonging and growth mindset interventions is associated with significantly higher retention rates compared to the belonging intervention alone or no intervention. The most dramatic difference is for first-generation students: 86.7% retention (MDC Done) vs 61.8% (Not Done) — a 24.9 percentage point gap. The study also found strong positive correlations between retention rates and participation rates in MDC (r = 0.995) and both MDC & GM (r = 0.996), suggesting a potential link between conscientiousness and participation.
The 2024 MDC Survey (n=657) measured six key dimensions of student experience on a 7-point Likert scale.
First-generation students (Gen1) reported significantly higher scores than continuing-generation students (Gen2+) in both positive perceptions (p<0.001) and felt positive emotions (p<0.001). Similarly, students from disadvantaged backgrounds (SES4+) reported significantly higher scores than their more advantaged peers (SES3-) in both dimensions (p<0.001). This suggests the intervention has the greatest emotional impact on precisely those students who face the most challenges in navigating the university environment. These patterns were consistent across both the 2023 and 2024 cohorts.
Students generally agreed that there are different ways to succeed at this university (6.23/7), that it is important to have multiple perspectives on campus (6.23/7), that it is normal to ask for help outside of class (6.23/7), and that mentors play an important role in helping them succeed academically (6.26/7).
Thematic analysis of students' reflective writing revealed both unique challenges and shared experiences across different backgrounds.
This research has been presented at international and local conferences, contributing to the global discourse on belonging interventions in engineering education.
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Du Plessis, A., Tadie, M., Viljoen, C., Wolff, K., & Blaine, D. (2024). Fostering Belonging: The Impact of a Wise Intervention on Diverse Engineering Students. In 2024 World Engineering Education Forum - Global Engineering Deans Council (WEEF-GEDC) (pp. 1–9). IEEE.