Conference proceeding
Sense of Belonging, Trust and Anxiety in STEM in a regional Australian University
ACE '26: Proceedings of the 28th Australasian Computing Education Conference, pp.158-167
ACM Other Conferences
ACE 2026: 28th Australasian Computing Education Conference
16/03/2026
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Abstract
This study examines the sense of belonging (SoB) among students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at a regional Australian university. It explores relationships between SoB, trust in instructors, and academic anxiety, recognising their interconnections. The results suggest that distance from campus is not a significant factor in student belonging, trust, or anxiety. Computing students reported significantly higher belonging and lower anxiety than Science students, with Engineering students between. The most striking finding is the disconnect between quantitative and qualitative data: while online and on-campus students showed no statistical belonging differences, online students strongly articulated isolation concerns, suggesting that traditional belonging measures may not fully capture the online experience. For the growing population of online, part-time and mature-age STEM students, institutions must move beyond traditional campus-based belonging interventions to create meaningful connection opportunities that accommodate diverse life circumstances.
Details
- Title
- Sense of Belonging, Trust and Anxiety in STEM in a regional Australian University
- Creators
- Raina Mason - Southern Cross UniversityCarolyn Seton - Southern Cross UniversityAlexander Hendry - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- ACE '26: Proceedings of the 28th Australasian Computing Education Conference, pp.158-167
- Conference
- ACE 2026: 28th Australasian Computing Education Conference
- Series
- ACM Other Conferences
- Publisher
- ACM
- Number of pages
- 10
- Identifiers
- 991013370461802368
- Copyright
- © 2026 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Information Technology; Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding