Much focus is placed on belonging, but arguably what has more impact on student and staff wellbeing is knowing that we matter. 'Mattering' in higher education can be defined as approaches and interventions which show that the university cares, and that students and staff matter as individuals. This practical workshop will use a research-based framework and evidence informed recommendations, providing participants with tools to design and manage programmes to enhance both student and staff experience.

1. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 1
Beyond Belonging: building
‘mattering’ into practice
Programme design for student and
staff well-being
Professor Rebecca Hodgson
rebecca.hodgson-2@manchester.ac.uk
SEDA Autumn Conference, 2023
Belonging and mattering
“There is an important distinction between belonging and
mattering; namely, belonging to a group is not sufficient to
elicit feelings of mattering. ... for persons to matter, not only
must their presence in the group be acknowledged, but they
must also feel as though they are important ...
....increased feelings of mattering may increase a sense of
belonging...
(France & Finney, 2009: 111)

2. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 2
Background
• My earlier research identified an ‘academic identity nexus’:
the factors forming stable, confident professional identities in
higher education
• Four interdependent factors: self-efficacy; agency (optimal);
belonging; and mattering
• Can be applied to staff and students in higher education (and
professional identities more widely)
• A literature review (Austen, Hodgson, et al 2021) on access,
retention, attainment, and progression filtered 14,000 pieces
of literature into 161 sources for thematic review – ‘mattering’
emerged as a key theme
• ‘EDI in action’ workshop (Dec 2022) co-led by international
students: mattering emerged as a key theme
Resilience:
maintenance
of wellbeing
Mattering
attention (awareness)
importance
reliance (two-way)
appreciation
Self-efficacy
mastery experiences
modelling
persuasion
physiological reactions
Agency (optimal)
ownership
contribution
scaffolded
Belonging
connectedness
acceptance
legitimacy
shared values
from Hodgson, 2017, 2018
Professional identity
nexus

3. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 3
Mattering in HE: students
• Mattering – a focus for positive change
• Much focus has been placed on belonging, but arguably
what has more impact is students knowing that they
matter.
• ‘Mattering’ in higher education can be understood as
approaches and interventions which show that a
university cares and that students matter as individuals
– that they are important to us.
• Approaches and interventions designed from a student-
centred perspective, that have a positive impact on the
student experience, may support a sense of ‘mattering’
Mattering in HE: staff
• As with students, arguably what has more impact than
‘belonging’ is staff knowing that they matter.
• Manifests at the micro (local) and macro (institutional)
scale
• The most influential interactions / experiences seem to
occur at the local level and via the overall culture of the
institution
• Professional development like PgCAP programmes can
help support development of confident professional
identities

4. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 4
What might mattering ‘look like’
for staff?
What might this look / feel like for staff?
Component of
mattering
Colleagues know your name (and can pronounce it)
Your identity is respected
You are invited to meetings and included in team communications
Your development needs are identified and provided for
You have clarity / structure in terms of your responsibilities
Attention (or
awareness)
You are treated as an individual by the university
You feel known personally by key colleagues
You have a mentor and a line manager who spend time with you
Your opinion counts / is sought by colleagues
You are supported practically and emotionally by colleagues
Your contributions are encouraged and valued
You undertake work that matters to you and your team / institution
Importance
You can make a direct and positive contribution to your team / programme / Department
You have opportunities to be a key part of a team
Colleagues and / or students seek you out for support and you are in turn supported
You have opportunities for co-creation (e.g. teaching, research, policy) with colleagues and students
Reliance
(two - way)
Your work provides opportunities to demonstrate successes and achievements
Colleagues and line managers notice and acknowledge your efforts and achievements
Your institution offers opportunities for reward and recognition for the work you do
Your contributions are recognised and rewarded
Colleagues, line managers, and students provide positive and constructive feedback
Appreciation
What might mattering ‘look like’
for students?
What might this look / feel like for students?
Component of
mattering
Key peers and tutors know your name (and can pronounce it)
Your identity is respected
You are invited to peer meetings and included in peer communications
Your development needs are identified and provided for
You have a mentor and a personal tutor
Attention (or
awareness)
You are treated as an individual by the university
You feel known personally by key university staff
You have a mentor and a personal tutor who spend time with you
Your opinion counts / is sought by peers and tutors
You are supported practically and emotionally by peers and tutors
Your contributions are encouraged in taught sessions
You do work on your course that matters to you and the world
Importance
You can make a direct contribution to your course
You have opportunities to be a key part of a team (group work, learning, assessment)
You have opportunities to support peers and are in turn supported
You have opportunities for co-creation with peers and tutors
Reliance
(two - way)
Your course provides opportunities to demonstrate early successes and achievements
Peers and tutors notice and acknowledge your efforts and achievements
Your course offers opportunities to win prizes and awards
Tutors recognise your contributions in class
Tutors provide positive and constructive feedback
Appreciation

5. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 5
Identity framework: relationships
Inter-relationships
Concept
requires a sense of mattering (importance, appreciation)
impacted by self-efficacy
impacted by agency
belonging
requires a sense of belonging (connectedness, acceptance)
requires opportunities to develop self-efficacy
impacted by agency
mattering
reinforced / undermined by belonging / not belonging
reinforced / undermined by mattering / not mattering
reinforced / undermined by appropriate / inappropriate agency
self-efficacy
a mechanism for / manifestation of belonging (legitimacy)
a mechanism for / manifestation of mattering (reliance)
reinforces / undermines self-efficacy
agency
Literature review
• Austen, L., Hodgson, R., Heaton, C.,
Pickering, N., and Dickinson, J. (2021)
Access, retention, attainment,
progression – an integrative literature
review, Advance HE: York
• Recommendations as to ‘what works’

6. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 6
Access: what works?
• Supporting students to access HE by helping them to navigate
existing systems and processes and overcome barriers
– Outreach; Information, Advice and Guidance; Financial
support
• Understanding our institution and where under-
representation is
• Focus on culture, policies, staff-base, and practices, to attract
and support the students who are under-represented and/or
disadvantaged.
– Admissions; Embracing diversity
Retention: what works?
At the level of the institution:
• Financial aid (hardship funds); childcare; travel support
• Personalised interventions
At the level of the course:
• Proactive academic-student contact
• ‘Mattering’ in teaching and learning interactions
• Facilitate creation of learning communities by
pedagogical design
• Opportunities to have early ‘successes’ (a primary flag in
learner analytics information)

7. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 7
Attainment: what works?
• Provide financial student support but as part of multi-intervention
programme e.g. including careers seminars
• Focus on transition and induction
• Adopt a student-centred pedagogy e.g.
– active
– problem-based
– experiential
– peer supported learning
• Use open access educational resources
• Focus on supporting psycho-social behaviours of learning and
combine with data analytics
• Use peer mentoring/tutoring as part of a wider programme of activities
Progression: what works?
• Investment via multi-faceted interventions which provide
more than one opportunity to develop student progression to
employment (work experience AND careers interventions
AND mentoring)
• Opportunity via work placements, sandwich placements and
internships can have a positive experience on student
progression outcomes, and can provide a levelling/equalising
effect(WP) on graduate outcomes
• Assumption that the development of behaviours (confidence,
resilience) and employability skills (in or out of the
curriculum) will lead to longer term employment successes

8. 09/11/2023
Professor Rebecca Hodgson, UoM 8
Thinking holistically…
Early interventions
Curriculum aligned
Financial aid
Extra Curricular
Personal support and guidance
Learner analytics
References
• Austen, L., Hodgson, R., Heaton, C., Pickering, N., and Dickinson, J. (2021) Access, retention, attainment, progression – an integrative
literature review, Advance HE: York
• Bobek, B. L. (2002). Teacher Resiliency: A Key to Career Longevity. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and
Ideas, 75(4), 202–205.
• Elliott, G. C., Kao, S., & Grant, A.-M. (2004). Mattering: Empirical Validation of a Social-Psychological Concept. Self and Identity, 3(4),
339–354
• Hodgson, R (2017) New lecturers’ journeys: the formation of the academic in higher education, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
• Hodgson, R (2018) A new model for academic identity, The 6th International Conference for Academic Identities, Hiroshima, Japan, 19-
21 September 2018 http://rihe.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/2018/09/9-19en/
• France, M. K., & Finney, S. J. (2009). What Matters in the Measurement of Mattering? A Construct Validity Study. Measurement and
Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 42(2), 104–120.
• May, V. (2011). Self, Belonging and Social Change. Sociology, 45(3), 363–378