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Abstract

Background/Introduction/Purpose: This study examined hospitality and tourism college/university students’ views of their engagement, well-being, and sense of belonging in academic and extracurricular activities, based on 130 responses from students in the United States.

Methods: Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the responses. Qualitative comments were also obtained.

Results:  Respondents felt positive overall about their engagement, and many participated in extracurricular activities. The relationships between class engagement and sense of belonging, and between campus engagement and sense of belonging were significant, and the sense of belonging significantly influenced student subjective well-being. Online students indicated higher levels of class engagement than face-to-face students, while face-to-face students expressed higher levels of engagement in extracurricular activities. Plus, students who participated in extracurricular activities showed higher levels of engagement, well-being, and belonging

Discussions/Implications:  The students’ responses led the investigators to think about further strategies to help students engage in their academic and extracurricular activities. Suggestions for enhancing engagement and recommendations for further studies are provided.

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