Students in Team-Based Learning Classes Report Greater Belongingness

Background: Belongingness is an important predictor of academic and psychological outcomes in college students. Team-based learning (TBL) includes a number of explicit structures that should increase students’ perceived belongingness (compared to other teaching approaches), including permanent team membership, and activities that encourage team interactions. Objective: In two studies, we compared perceived belongingness reported by students taught using TBL and non-TBL methods to determine whether students taught using TBL reported greater perceived belongingness. Method: In study 1, we measured perceived belongingness at the end of four different semesters of TBL and non-TBL sections of Introduction to Psychology. In study 2, we measured belongingness in a pre–post design, again in TBL and non-TBL sections of Introduction to Psychology. Results: In both studies, TBL students reported significantly greater belongingness than non-TBL students. Teaching Implications: These data contribute to a growing body of literature indicating that TBL has social and emotional benefits in addition to the previously established academic benefits. As such, instructors should consider adopting TBL.