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.

摘要

归属感很重要，因为它包含在大学里被重视、包容和接受的感觉。研究表明，拥有更强归属感的高等教育学生往往有更高的动力、更高的学术自信、更高的学术参与度和更高的成就。本文介绍了问卷调查的结果（n= 578），旨在探索大学生的归属感与学生保留之间的关系。目前的研究发现，第一代学生与父母均已完成大学学业的学生之间的归属感水平存在显着差异。此外，经常考虑在没有完成学位的情况下离开大学（即辍学）的学生的归属感明显低于没有完成学位的学生。最后，归属感较高的大学生在学习中表现出较高的动力和乐趣，而归属感较低的学生则表现出较低的动力和乐趣。