Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students
Background Sense of university belonging is a key predictor of academic retention, well-being, and performance. Although study goals and academic satisfaction have been independently linked to students’ university experience, their joint predictive role—and whether satisfaction accounts for the stat...
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| Lenguaje: | inglés |
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2026
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| author | Justino Ricardo Palma-Asencios Eunice Marisol Orozco-Cisneros Jai Pascual-Mariño |
| author_browse | Eunice Marisol Orozco-Cisneros Jai Pascual-Mariño Justino Ricardo Palma-Asencios |
| author_facet | Justino Ricardo Palma-Asencios Eunice Marisol Orozco-Cisneros Jai Pascual-Mariño |
| author_sort | Justino Ricardo Palma-Asencios |
| collection | Producción científica |
| description | Background Sense of university belonging is a key predictor of academic retention, well-being, and performance. Although study goals and academic satisfaction have been independently linked to students’ university experience, their joint predictive role—and whether satisfaction accounts for the statistical association between goals and belonging remains unexplored among Peruvian university students. Self-Determination Theory and the Need to Belong hypothesis provide the theoretical scaffolding for this inquiry. Methods A cross-sectional, predictive study was conducted with 541 Peruvian university students (M age = 22.1, SD = 4.6; 69.3% women; 66.2% public institutions). Three validated instruments were administered: the Study Goals Scale (EME; ω = .88–.90), the Brief Academic Satisfaction Scale (EBSE; α = .79), and the University Sense of Belonging Scale (ESPU; ω = .67–.93). Analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and mediation analysis with 5,000 bootstrap resamples using IBM SPSS v.28. Results A statistically significant indirect effect linking study goals to sense of belonging through academic satisfaction was observed [indirect effect: B = 0.060, 95% CI bootstrap (0.036, 0.086); standardized β ab = .119]. The direct effect of study goals on belonging was non-significant after controlling for satisfaction ( β = −.012, p = .794). Academic satisfaction was the only statistically significant predictor in the adjusted regression model ( β = .297, p < .001). The model explained 8.2% of the variance in belonging [R 2 adj = .082, F(2, 538) = 25.11, p < .001, f 2 = .093]. Conclusion Academic satisfaction was associated with a significant indirect effect linking study goals and sense of university belonging, alongside a non-significant direct effect. These findings, interpreted within the framework of Self-Determination Theory, are consistent with the possibility that motivational orientations toward learning are associated with belonging primarily when accompanied by a positively evaluated academic experience, although the cross-sectional design does not permit causal or temporal conclusions. Institutional strategies that strengthen academic satisfaction represent a plausible target for future intervention research aimed at fostering belonging and reducing dropout. |
| format | Article |
| id | openalex:W7214082983 |
| institution | UPeU |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | openalex:W7214082983Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university studentsJustino Ricardo Palma-AsenciosEunice Marisol Orozco-CisnerosJai Pascual-Mariñosense of belongingstudy goalsacademic satisfactionuniversity studentsself-determination theoryacademic motivationacademic retentionmediationPeruvian university studentsHigher Education Research StudiesEducational Outcomes and InfluencesEducation, Achievement, and GiftednessBackground Sense of university belonging is a key predictor of academic retention, well-being, and performance. Although study goals and academic satisfaction have been independently linked to students’ university experience, their joint predictive role—and whether satisfaction accounts for the statistical association between goals and belonging remains unexplored among Peruvian university students. Self-Determination Theory and the Need to Belong hypothesis provide the theoretical scaffolding for this inquiry. Methods A cross-sectional, predictive study was conducted with 541 Peruvian university students (M age = 22.1, SD = 4.6; 69.3% women; 66.2% public institutions). Three validated instruments were administered: the Study Goals Scale (EME; ω = .88–.90), the Brief Academic Satisfaction Scale (EBSE; α = .79), and the University Sense of Belonging Scale (ESPU; ω = .67–.93). Analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and mediation analysis with 5,000 bootstrap resamples using IBM SPSS v.28. Results A statistically significant indirect effect linking study goals to sense of belonging through academic satisfaction was observed [indirect effect: B = 0.060, 95% CI bootstrap (0.036, 0.086); standardized β ab = .119]. The direct effect of study goals on belonging was non-significant after controlling for satisfaction ( β = −.012, p = .794). Academic satisfaction was the only statistically significant predictor in the adjusted regression model ( β = .297, p < .001). The model explained 8.2% of the variance in belonging [R 2 adj = .082, F(2, 538) = 25.11, p < .001, f 2 = .093]. Conclusion Academic satisfaction was associated with a significant indirect effect linking study goals and sense of university belonging, alongside a non-significant direct effect. These findings, interpreted within the framework of Self-Determination Theory, are consistent with the possibility that motivational orientations toward learning are associated with belonging primarily when accompanied by a positively evaluated academic experience, although the cross-sectional design does not permit causal or temporal conclusions. Institutional strategies that strengthen academic satisfaction represent a plausible target for future intervention research aimed at fostering belonging and reducing dropout.Articlehttps://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1935773https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1935773/pdfW7214082983enFrontiers in Education2504-284X2026-09-23 |
| spellingShingle | sense of belonging study goals academic satisfaction university students self-determination theory academic motivation academic retention mediation Peruvian university students Higher Education Research Studies Educational Outcomes and Influences Education, Achievement, and Giftedness Justino Ricardo Palma-Asencios Eunice Marisol Orozco-Cisneros Jai Pascual-Mariño Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students |
| title | Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students |
| title_full | Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students |
| title_fullStr | Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students |
| title_short | Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students |
| title_sort | study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in peruvian university students |
| topic | sense of belonging study goals academic satisfaction university students self-determination theory academic motivation academic retention mediation Peruvian university students Higher Education Research Studies Educational Outcomes and Influences Education, Achievement, and Giftedness |
| topic_facet | sense of belonging study goals academic satisfaction university students self-determination theory academic motivation academic retention mediation Peruvian university students Higher Education Research Studies Educational Outcomes and Influences Education, Achievement, and Giftedness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1935773 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1935773/pdf |
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