Study goals and academic satisfaction as predictors of sense of belonging in Peruvian university students

Palma-Asencios J.R.; Orozco-Cisneros E.M.; Pascual-Mariño J. · Frontiers in Education (2026) · DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.1935773

Resumen

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 (Mage = 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 βab = .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 [R2adj = .082, F(2, 538) = 25.11, p < .001, f2 = .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.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Unión