A sense of belonging at university: student retention, motivation and enjoyment

ABSTRACT

A sense of belonging is important as it incorporates feelings of being valued, included and accepted at university. Research suggests that higher education students who have a greater sense of belonging tend to have higher motivation, more academic self-confidence, higher levels of academic engagement and higher achievement. This article presents findings from a questionnaire (n = 578) that was developed to explore the relationships between university students’ sense of belonging and student retention. The current study found a significant difference in the level of belonging between first-generation students and students whose parents had both completed university. Additionally, students who frequently considered leaving university without completing their degree (i.e. dropping out) had a significantly lower sense of belonging than students who did not. Finally, university students with a higher sense of belonging reported higher motivation and enjoyment in their studies whereas students who reported lower levels of belonging reported lower levels of motivation and enjoyment. This study highlights that university students’ sense of belonging is of high importance to higher education institutions as it increases students’ academic motivation and enjoyment in their studies, which can impact on student achievement and reduces the likelihood of students considering leaving university before completing their studies, thus contributing to student retention.

KEYWORDS:

• Belonging
• retention
• motivation
• enjoyment
• university

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and material

Available to other researchers on request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Megan Louise Pedler

Megan Louise Pedler is currently completing a PhD in the Faculty of Education with a focus on teacher pedagogy and student engagement.  She is also exploring factors that increase student retention at university with a specific interest in students’ sense of belonging and how this relates to student outcomes. Megan is an experienced educator and has taught in universities, secondary schools, and as a specialist teacher in primary schools, both in Australia and abroad. https://researchportal.scu.edu.au/esploro/profile/overview?institution=61SCU_INST.

Royce Willis

Dr. Royce Willis has a background in psychology and educational research, including blended learning, school improvement, and mechanisms to support teacher professional learning. Specifically, Royce's research has involved scale development with a focus on psychological constructs, such as wellbeing, belonging, and anxiety, and how these affect teachers and students. Royce also has an interest in Environmental Psychology. This research has largely focussed on the influence of individual differences, such as avoidance tendencies and a disposition for critical thinking in pro-environmental behaviour. https://researchportal.scu.edu.au/esploro/profile/royce_willis/overview?institution=61SCU_INST.

Johanna Elizabeth Nieuwoudt

Dr. Johanna Elizabeth Nieuwoudt is an experienced lecturer in SCU College at Southern Cross University, where she helps students from diverse backgrounds and experiences gain skills and confidence to be successful in their future university studies. She specialises in the curriculum design and delivery of higher education pathway courses for students in high school (Year 12), pre-award programmes, and diplomas. Johanna’s primary research interests are in the identification of factors that may contribute to student success. Johanna is an editor of the Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, an international peer-reviewed journal publishing contributions dealing with student engagement in higher education from a disciplinary or multi-disciplinary perspective. https://researchportal.scu.edu.au/esploro/profile/johanna_nieuwoudt/overview?institution=61SCU_INST.