Psychological pathways from school belonging to life satisfaction: the serial mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy

This study aimed to investigate whether resilience and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between university students' sense of belonging at school and their life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 507 students (360 females, 147 males) from various universities in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Sense of Belonging Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and a Demographic Information Form. The correlation and serial mediation analyses were conducted. School belonging showed strong positive correlations with resilience, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. Both resilience and self-efficacy independently mediated the link between belonging and life satisfaction, and together they formed a significant serial mediation pathway. The results highlight the importance of fostering a strong sense of belonging to enhance students' resilience and self-efficacy, ultimately promoting higher life satisfaction and overall wellbeing.