Soft and hard sciences students’ evaluation on sense of belonging and digital attitude to promote university well-being through peer education: an exploratory study.

Universities are dynamic ecosystems in which fostering a sense of belonging and promoting students’ well-being can be particularly challenging. In an era marked by increasing anxiety and social isolation, a key question emerges: how can a stronger sense of inclusion within academia be cultivated? Grounded in the assumption that community well-being is sustained through active participation and mutual support, this exploratory study proposes an alternative model of organizational communication in which students play a central, proactive role. At the University of Palermo, 32 students from different academic disciplines were appointed as peer educators within a project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. Descriptive analyses were conducted using the University Student Belonging Scale. The results indicated that students enrolled in the Social Sciences (SS) reported a significantly higher overall sense of belonging compared to their peers in the Hard Sciences (HS). In addition, a social network analysis was performed to examine students’ activities on Instagram. The findings revealed that Social Sciences students were more likely to act as opinion leaders, playing a prominent role in fostering connections within the network. Overall, the results suggest that SS and HS students engaged in collaborative academic contexts, while simultaneously showcasing their collective activities on social media platforms, developed shared patterns of behavior that contributed to enhanced engagement and a stronger sense of community.