Fostering students' sense of belonging and enhancing higher order thinking: Exploring the role of pro-environmental behavior as a mediator and life autonomy as a moderator

The frequent emergence of global public crises has significantly disrupted educational paradigms, particularly with the widespread adoption of online learning methods. During this period, the sense of Students' Sense of Belonging (SSB) among students has been notably impacted. Although prior research has shown a significant correlation between SSB and higher-order thinking (HOT), there is still limited research on the precise nature of this relationship. This study undertakes a comprehensive investigation into the intricate connections linking SSB and HOT. A comprehensive survey was conducted to gather data from 776 students enrolled in a vocational college in China. The survey included evaluations of demographic information, psychological sense of school membership (SSB), higher-order thinking (HOT), pro-environmental behavior (PEB), and life autonomy (LA). Subsequently, multiple linear regression models were employed to analyze the complex relationships within this context. The study yielded several key findings: a positive correlation was observed between SSB and HOT. PEB acted as a moderator in the relationship between SSB and HOT, indicating a positive correlation between SSB, PEB, and HOT. LA also played a moderating role in the connection between PEB and HOT. Specifically, higher levels of LA attenuated the positive correlation between PEB and HOT. These results collectively suggest that SSB can serve as a stimulus for the development of HOT.