Role of residential college participation in sense of belonging and academic learning.

The present study examined the relationships among students' participation in Residential College (RC) activities, their sense of belonging, academic engagement, and academic achievement. Two hundred and forty-six undergraduate students from a public university in Macau participated in this study. Methods: A set of survey questions were responded by each participant via an online link. Participation in RC activities cultivated students' sense of belonging toward RC which in turn contributed to their sense of belonging toward the university. Students' academic engagement mediated the relationship between sense of belonging toward UM and academic achievement. These findings confirmed previous studies demonstrating the important role of RC participation in student learning and development, and shed lights on the optimization of RC system in the university as well as student development in higher education.