Abstract:

Entering university means a great stress for the students. Adaptation to a new environment, different ways of teaching and learning, are very stressful for students. The current pandemic situation also brings many changes. One of them is the transition of university learning from present or full time learning to online learning. Although online learning is not new, in Slovakia, we are only getting acquainted with it. Therefore, we find it necessary to understand students' online learning experience and analyze how it effects their sense of school belongingness. The aim of the presented paper is to examine how the online learning experiences (perceived social presence of teacher and peers in online environment and academic stressors) contribute to school belonging in first and higher grade university students.

Methods:
The research sample consisted of 169 university students (Mage=21,71, SD=2,63; first grade students n1=87, higher grade students n2=82). To measure school and teacher belonging, social presence in online environment and academic stressors self-report questionnaires were utilized.

Results:
Results of regression analysis indicated differences in factors contributing to school belonging between first and higher-grade students. Academic stressors and perceived social presence of teacher in online course predicted higher level of school belonging in first grade students, while perceived social presence of peers predicted school belonging in higher grade students.

Conclusion:
Findings highlighted the importance of perceived online learning experience for promoting school belonging among university students.

Keywords:

School belonging, teacher belonging, perceived social presence of teacher and peers, academic stressors, university students.