The Development and Validation of the University Belonging Questionnaire

ABSTRACT

Although belonging in K–12 school settings has been abundantly researched and clearly defined, at the university level the research and construct definition is still in its infancy (Tovar & Simon, 2010). The present study sought to develop and validate an instrument measuring university belonging—the University Belonging Questionnaire (UBQ). In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted with a sample of university students (N = 421), finding a reliable scale with three factors: (a) university affiliation, (b) university support and acceptance, and (c) faculty and staff relations. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis on a new sample (N = 290), confirmed the final 3-factor, 24-item model. Further analyses demonstrated the convergent and incremental validity of the UBQ, as it positively correlated with measures of perceived social support, social connectedness, and general belonging. Implications and recommendations for university belonging research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic belonging
• measurement
• school belonging
• social connectedness
• university belonging