Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
12-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Ginger Christian
Committee Members
Paul Garton, James Lampley
Abstract
This non-experimental, correlational, quantitative study examined the relationship between undergraduate students’ perceptions of sense of belonging and their participation in university programming and engagement opportunities at a medium-sized public institution in the Southeastern United States. Guided by the Integrative Framework for Belonging (Allen et al., 2021), the study explored how specific student factors including academic major, campus residency status, class standing, primary mode of instruction, and employment status intersect with engagement to shape students’ sense of belonging. Engagement opportunities that were measured included dimensions of campus facility use and participation in clubs and organizations. Questions related to perceptions of the campus community and culture were used to measure student sense of belonging.
Data were collected through a campus-wide survey distributed to all undergraduate students at a single institution site. Responses were analyzed using multiple regression models to address three research questions focused on the relationship between sense of belonging and student engagement. The analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between student sense of belonging and student engagement. Positive relationships were found between a sense of belonging and overall engagement, as well as with two distinct dimensions of engagement: campus facility use and participation in clubs and organizations. Findings indicated undergraduate students who are engaged with their campus community reported an increased sense of belonging during the collegiate experience.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Akers, Shelby Jo, "Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Sense of Belonging and Engagement Opportunities in the Campus Community" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4630. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4630
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
