The Belonging to the University Scale: Psychometric Properties and Analysis of Current Status in the Context of Higher Education

The present study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the belonging to the university scale and analyze its current status. The participants were 664 students at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (232 students in the first study and 432 students in the second study), who were selected through the multi-stage random sampling method. They completed Karaman and Cirak's (2017) Belonging to the University Scale and Gagné’s (2003) Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale. The validity and reliability of the research scales were examined and confirmed through factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient methods. The descriptive data, on the other hand, was analyzed using correlation matrix and exploratory factor analysis in SPSS 23. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis was performed using LISREL 8.80, the results of which revealed a three-factor structural model whose fit indices suggested a desirable fit with the data, thus corroborating the three-factor structure of the belonging to the university scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was in an acceptable level in the two studies and the convergent validity demonstrated a positive and significant correlation between the belonging to the university scale and the scale of satisfaction of basic needs satisfaction in general scale. The results of the current status showed that the students' sense of belonging was in a moderate level. These findings emphasize the importance of planning and designing comprehensive interventions in order to measure and improve students' sense of belonging to the university.