School Engagement and Purpose in College Students

Past studies have examined the role of having a sense of purpose in the success of college students, but few have determined a direct relationship between college students’ school engagement and sense of purpose. Attempting to investigate the connection further, this study employed correlational analyses with data from 2,074 community students nationwide to examine the relationship between school engagement and purpose. Consistent with the hypothesis, correlational analyses demonstrated a moderate positive correlation between school engagement and a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Additionally, honor society membership status, whether one had a mentor, college size, and college credits earned, were each linked to school engagement and purpose. Purpose was also positively correlated with age, and significant results were found for purpose in employment hours per week, gender identity, and the number of college credits earned. Future examination of factors in the connection between purpose and school engagement may lead to the development of methods to increase school engagement and a sense of purpose in college students.