Exploring the mediating role of student commitment in the relationship between life satisfaction and general well-being in university students

Abstract

Recently, the educational approaches in Turkey were rapidly transformed, shifting to hybrid education under official directives. The shift, initially from traditional to distance education and then to a hybrid model, significantly impacted the well-being of university students who had already been affected by the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and faced further social and psychological consequences. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of student commitment in the relationship between life satisfaction and general well-being in university students. Employing a snowball sampling method, conducted an online survey to gather data from students. The students were instructed to complete self-report questionnaires related to their commitment to university, life satisfaction, and well-being. Participants were 416 university students from two foundations and one public university in Turkey. In the first stage of the study, the construct validity of the measurement model was tested by conducting validity and reliability analyses on an item and factor basis. In the second stage, structural equation model analysis was applied and the fit values of the tested model were reported. The results showed that student commitment to higher education plays a partially mediating role in the relationship between life satisfaction and general well-being. The results suggest the significance of cultivating conditions that not only bolster life satisfaction but also promote university commitment, thereby enhancing the overall well-being of university students.