Belonging and Adjustment for LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Students during the Social Transition to University

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dc.contributor.authorJohnston H
dc.contributor.authorSotardi, Valerie
dc.contributor.authorSurtees, Nicola
dc.contributor.authorVincent, Kerry
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-26T00:15:59Z
dc.date.available2021-05-26T00:15:59Z
dc.date.issued2021en
dc.date.updated2021-03-22T23:36:28Z
dc.description.abstractThe transition to university can be challenging not only for the general student population but also for LGBTQ+ students, whose social experiences may be particularly demanding. In the current research, we explore first-year students’ perceptions of belonging and social adjustment by (a) estimating whether such perceptions relate to achievement motivation, well-being, and academic performance, and (b) identifying whether these trends differ for LGBTQ+ students. First-year students from one public university in New Zealand (n = 896) completed a questionnaire to report their early experiences in higher education. Grade Point Average (GPA) was provided by the institution. Results using descriptive statistics and regression-based, moderation models offer empirical support that belongingness and social adjustment have the potential to impact first-year students in meaningful ways, and that some of these patterns vary between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ students. Individuals who reported institutional belonging and felt as though they had adjusted well to university also reported high levels of achievement motivation and well-being. Meanwhile, individuals who reported peer belonging were linked to weaker achievement motivation yet a higher GPA. Our results introduce new evidence that although LGBTQ+ students reported relatively poorer well-being, they experienced relatively more enjoyment and less boredom in their classes. Interactions from moderation testing reveal that the statistical predictions of belongingness and social adjustment for academic self-efficacy and subjective well-being differed between LGBTQ+ and nonLGBTQ+ students. We discuss the practical implications of our results and identify ways for higher educational institutions to support first-year students.en
dc.identifier.citationSotardi V, Surtees N, Vincent K, Johnston H (2021). Belonging and Adjustment for LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Students during the Social Transition to University Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.en
dc.identifier.issn1938-8926
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10092/101932
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAmerican Psychological Associationen
dc.rightsAll rights reserved unless otherwise stateden
dc.rights.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/17651en
dc.subjectLGBTQ+en
dc.subjectbelongingen
dc.subjectachievement emotionsen
dc.subjectwell-beingen
dc.subjectself-efficacyen
dc.subjectGPAen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3904 - Specialist studies in education::390412 - Teacher and student wellbeingen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3904 - Specialist studies in education::390406 - Gender, sexuality and educationen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::39 - Education::3903 - Education systems::390303 - Higher educationen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::52 - Psychology::5204 - Cognitive and computational psychology::520403 - Learning, motivation and emotion
dc.titleBelonging and Adjustment for LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Students during the Social Transition to Universityen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
uc.collegeFaculty of Education
uc.departmentSchool of Educational Studies and Leadership
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