Community College Belongingness Questionnaire: An Adaptation of the University Belongingness Questionnaire Utilizing Item Response Theory

• In Event: Improving the College Experience by Improving Readiness and Feelings of Belonging

Abstract

A plethora of educational research has demonstrated the importance of belonging in educational settings. However, the research examining belonging in community college settings is sparse. The current study adapts the University Belongingness Questionnaire (UBQ; Slaten et. al., 2018) utilizing item response theory to establish a scale that measures belonging at the community college level. The results indicate the same three factor solution as the UBQ: Affiliation with Community College, Campus Support and Acceptance, and Faculty/Staff Relations. A few items were removed due to a lack of fit with the community college setting and poor reliability with their respective subscale and total scale. Implications for community college personnel and future higher education research are discussed.

Authors

• Christopher D. Slaten, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Wes Bonifay, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Bini Sebastian, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Hyejin Shim, University of Missouri - Columbia