Sense of belonging scale

While there is no universal instrument to measure student’s sense of belonging at university, we recommend the scales shared below, which have undergone a rigorous, research-based development process to enhance reliability (Gehlbach & Brinkworth, 2011). We have adapted the Harvard-Panorama Student Perception Survey scale on Sense of Belonging (Gehlbach, 2015) and Yorke’s (2016) sense of belonging in higher education scale according to best practices in questionnaire design.

If you want, you can adapt the questionnaire to focus on your specific module, course, or department. We have provided guidance below to ensure that your scale follows good practices in questionnaire design and remains valid. If you wish to adapt this scale for your module, course or department, enter the name of your course or department where it says “Imperial College London” in this example. Before you adapt this questionnaire further, please consult our FAQs and guidance on questionnaires.

References

Gehlbach, H. (2015). User Guide: Panorama Student Survey. Boston: Panorama Education. Retrieved from https://www.panoramaed.com/panorama-student-survey

Gehlbach, H., & Brinkworth, M. E. (2011). Measure twice, cut down error: A process for enhancing the validity of survey scales. Review of General Psychology, 15(4), 380-387. Retrieved from https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/8138346/Gehlbach%20-%20Measure%20twice%208-31-11.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Yorke, M. (2016). The development and initial use of a survey of student 'belongingness,' engagement and self-confidence in UK higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(1), 154-166.