Belonging and Motivation Go Hand-in-Hand: Evidence-Based Practice for Understanding and Regulating Student Belonging for Academic Success
Belonging and Motivation Go Hand-in-Hand: Evidence-Based Practice for Understanding and Regulating Student Belonging for Academic Success
February 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST
Dr. Jill Allen, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives; Associate Professor of Psychology, Drake University
Description
This presentation integrates theoretical, methodological, and applied perspectives on the interplay between belonging and motivation in higher education. Drawing on the Motivational Experiences Model (Thoman et al., 2013) and novel approaches to capturing the fluctuating nature of belonging (“experience sampling methodologies”), this talk will describe possible interventions which elevate the motivational experience of students and subsequently increase their belonging and academic persistence (e.g., Allen et al., 2021). At a time when higher education’s value is questioned, this talk is tailored to educators seeking to help students foster a sense of inclusion and connection, both within and outside their classes, which sustains students’ passion for learning and research in higher education.
About the Speaker
Dr. Allen is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2015, Dr. Allen has served Drake University in a variety of faculty roles, including the Director of the Slay Fund for Social Justice (since 2023) and Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences (since 2024).
Her primary field of study is social psychology. Dr. Allen teaches courses in experimental social psychology, psychology of prejudice and diversity, psychology of gender, and research methods in psychology. Her research program examines the consequences of stereotyping and sexual objectification on motivation and behavior. Current research focuses on increasing gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity within STEM-fields (through belonging interventions) and reducing the negative effects of sexual objectification on women and girls.
Dr. Allen earned her B.A. in psychology and community sociology from Wartburg College (a small, liberal arts institution in Iowa), her M.S. in Applied Psychology from Montana State University (a mid-sized land-grant institution in southwest Montana), and her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Midwestern R1), with a certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies.