Inquiry-Based Learning in a Culturally Responsive Power of Difference Course: Impact on Student Belonging, Cultural Humility, and Motivation
Article
McNeil-Young, VA, Owenz, M. (2026). Inquiry-Based Learning in a Culturally Responsive Power of Difference Course: Impact on Student Belonging, Cultural Humility, and Motivation
. College Teaching, 10.1080/87567555.2026.2707120
McNeil-Young, VA, Owenz, M. (2026). Inquiry-Based Learning in a Culturally Responsive Power of Difference Course: Impact on Student Belonging, Cultural Humility, and Motivation
. College Teaching, 10.1080/87567555.2026.2707120
This paper describes the development, implementation, and preliminary evidence of an interdisciplinary culturally relevant Power of Difference undergraduate course. The course was designed to establish student identity and positionality, foster soft skill development, and target key variables for living and working in diverse groups, specifically cultural humility, belonging, and motivation for change. Inquiry-based learning was the pedagogical driver of cultural connection labs, designed for communal, positive experiential learning. Participants included enrolled students in the course who consented to participate (n = 20). Research rubrics were utilized by two independent raters to analyze artifacts of learning (end-of-semester evaluations and two papers) to code the presence of key learning outcomes. Preliminary evidence suggests students’ work demonstrated evidence of cultural humility, motivation for change, and a sense of belonging, consistent with the intended learning outcomes. One hundred percent of participating students expressed an interest in social action and positive emotions at course end. We offer suggestions for developing positive, action-oriented social difference courses at the undergraduate level, along with access to the teaching materials used in the current study.
