Collaborative academic research
Sense of belonging
To take part,
you first need the opportunity.
Time, information and peer connections: my contribution to analysing results and writing a collective report on university life.
University life · Collective research
- My role
- Contribution to analysing results and writing the collective report
- What it shows
- Collaborative research · Synthesis · Writing
- Project type
- Collaborative academic research
The decision I would propose
I would propose compatible schedules, clear information and activities with peers.
Collective results; sample bases vary across analyses and associations do not imply causation.Project details and scope
Understand what makes it difficult to participate and feel part of university life.
02 / My contributionI contributed to analysing the results and writing a report on belonging and barriers to participation.
03 / EvidenceParticipation barriers with 163 cases; sample bases vary across analyses.
04 / ConclusionTime, information and peer connections stand out among the reported barriers.
Academic research: I distinguish observed results from proposed actions.
Which factors accompany a sense of belonging, and what prevents participation in university life?
Report by AEALCEE and its Sense of Belonging Working Group. It combines surveys and good practices to inform proposals for university life.
Participation needs time, information and peer connections.
The most frequently cited barriers inform proposals for scheduling, communication and participation with peers. Observed associations do not establish that events cause greater belonging.
Source: pp. 13 y 17 ↗- Type
- Collaborative academic work · AEALCEE
My contribution
I contributed to analysing the results and writing the report within a joint project with other Spanish universities through AEALCEE. The results belong to the collective project.
What the results show
What holds participation back?
163 people · 269 selections · Multiple responses
Time, lack of awareness and friends not participating are the most frequently cited barriers. Multiple choices were allowed, so percentages do not total 100%.
Source: informe de pertenencia, p. 17. Base de esta pregunta: N = 163.
“They do organise things; honestly, they don't promote them or get students interested in them.”
What this research supports
The barriers question has 163 cases and allows multiple responses. I use it to prioritise time, information and peer participation, not to generalise these percentages to all Spanish students.
From analysis to decision
FROM FINDING TO DECISION
What prevents participation?
AEALCEE's collective project studies students' relationship with the university community.
Questionnaires by stage
Three questionnaires for new students, later-year students and graduates. A pretest with six students from six universities.
Sources: pp. 8–10.
Different bases for different questions
The report states 195 responses, with the final analysis focused on later-year students. It includes descriptives, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman, regression and open responses.
The tables used here have bases of 165, 170 and 163; each result specifies its base.
From barriers to proposals
Participation results are combined with examples of good university practices to inform welcome, communication and continuity initiatives.
Sources: pp. 4, 17–18 y 22–25.
Main findings
What does this mean for marketing?
EVIDENCE → RECOMMENDATION
Select a finding to see the decision it informs.
WHAT I OBSERVED
Participation has specific barriers
Time: 43.56%; lack of awareness: 32.52%; friends not participating: 28.83%. Multiple-response question with N = 163.
WHAT I PROPOSE
Offer activities compatible with academic workload.
Lack of time affects 43.56% of the 163 cases in the multiple-response question.
Improve the visibility and communication of activities.
32.52% report a lack of awareness.
Involve associations and student representatives, and encourage peer participation.
28.83% say their friends do not participate; good practices involve student organisers.
Time, information and peers
Interpretive relationship in the case; recommendations are not measured results.
View all findings
Mean belonging score of 5.90 out of 10
Median 6; standard deviation 2.54; N = 165 for this variable.
Source: p. 11 ↗Participation has specific barriers
Time: 43.56%; lack of awareness: 32.52%; friends not participating: 28.83%. Multiple-response question with N = 163.
Source: p. 17 ↗Groups with events report greater belonging
Means: 6.18 for on-campus events, 6.69 off campus, 5.15 without events. N = 170; ANOVA p = 0.004. Observed association, not causation.
Source: p. 13 ↗Recommendations and their rationale
Offer activities compatible with academic workload.
Lack of time affects 43.56% of the 163 cases in the multiple-response question.
Source: pp. 17, 18.Improve the visibility and communication of activities.
32.52% report a lack of awareness.
Source: pp. 17, 18.Involve associations and student representatives, and encourage peer participation.
28.83% say their friends do not participate; good practices involve student organisers.
Source: pp. 4, 17, 25.Provide continuity and institutional support for in-person and welcome activities.
The study relates these opportunities to greater belonging and identifies them in good practices.
Source: pp. 4, 13, 14, 22, 23, 25.
Full paper and excerpts
25-page institutional report with methods, results and good practices. Excerpts retain each table's sample base.
Open the full paper ↗View more excerpts
Limitations and learning
Scope of the conclusions
- The sample is not statistically representative of all Spanish students; associations do not establish causation.
- The report states 195 responses and uses different bases for each analysis. I retain each question's base when interpreting results.
- The narrative description of the distribution and some regression labels differ from their tables. Because of this discrepancy, I base conclusions on the tables and retain each analysis's limitations.
Turning research into recommendations requires checking each question's base and distinguishing observed evidence from the report's interpretations.
A PIECE OF THE WORK
Participation barriers: original report table
How I use these barriers
Time, information and friends' participation inform different proposals. I interpret them as priorities for designing activities; the percentages do not prove a measure alone will increase belonging.