# University Organizational Support and Engineering Identity Among Engineering Postgraduates: The Sequential Mediating Role of Major Satisfaction and Engineering Belonging

## TL;DR

This study explores how university support influences engineering identity in postgraduates through satisfaction and a sense of belonging.

## Contribution

It introduces a sequential mediation model linking university support to engineering identity via major satisfaction and belonging.

## Key findings

- University organizational support is significantly correlated with engineering identity.
- Higher support leads to increased major satisfaction and engineering belonging.
- These factors together strengthen engineering identity among postgraduates.

## Abstract

Strengthening engineering identity among engineering postgraduates is essential to the sustainable development of the nation’s engineering talent teams. This subject has emerged as a major focus of international research on engineering education in recent years. A mediation model based on questionnaire data from 939 Chinese engineering postgraduates is employed to examine the relationship between university organizational support and engineering identity through the potential sequential mediators of major satisfaction and engineering belonging. The findings indicate that university organizational support is significantly correlated with engineering identity among postgraduates. University organizational support is statistically associated with engineering identity through independent and sequential mediation paths involving major satisfaction and engineering belonging. The results suggest that higher levels of university organizational support are positively correlated with greater major satisfaction and engineering belonging among engineering postgraduates, and these factors together are linked to stronger engineering identity.