Sense of belonging is a critical construct that impacts postsecondary students’ development and well-being. Despite its influence on student engagement, retention, and overall academic success in higher education, existing instruments measuring this construct are not specifically designed for postsecondary students. A brief, unidimensional instrument specifically validated for postsecondary students requires robust psychometric analyses to ensure crucial, fair, and accurate assessment. The present study proposes the Simple University Belonging Scale (SUBS) for use across different student demographics, including gender, underrepresented minority status, on-campus residency, degree level, and participation in living-learning programs (LLPs). Data were collected from a sample of 4,851 students at a predominantly White institution. The sample comprised majority undergraduate students (53%) and females (65%), with 15% identifying as part of an underrepresented minority group, with 36% participants were on-campus residents, and 24% in LLPs. Data were collected via an online survey platform. We used the Rasch rating scale model for data analysis and differential item functioning (DIF) analyses to test for measurement invariance across student subgroups. Ultimately, the refined 8-item SUBS was found to be suitable for on-campus undergraduate students, showing acceptable unidimensionality and minimal DIF across gender, minority status, and LLP participation. The SUBS demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .96) and acceptable Rasch reliability (.83). Measurement precision was excellent except at the ceiling of the instrument.
Lingat et al. (Thu,) studied this question.