An analysis of multi-level factors affecting the third year vocational certificate students research skills under the jurisdiction of the office of the vocational education commission
Abstract:
This research aimed to validate the multi-level measurement model and the multi-level causal model of factors influencing students research skills under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission. Using the analysis of the Multilevel Structural Equation Model (MSEM), it consists of two levels of analysis: Micro-level Unit or Student Level and Macro-level Unit or School Level. The sample comprised of 1,100 administrators, teachers and students of 50 colleges in vocational education academic year 2017. All participants were drawn by using two-stage random sampling. The predictive variables of student were; Learning Behavior, Social Behavior and Research Motivation. Predicting variables of school level were; research skills of teachers, quality of teaching, quality teacher research, leadership in academic administration, and the atmosphere of doing research in school. Research instrument were scales content validity and reliability were met in research requirement at high level. Data were analyzed by using Mplus Program to validate both the multi-level measurement model and multi-level structural equation model to empirical data.
Research findings were;
1. The multi-level measurement model of students' research skills under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission was consistent with the empirical data with the empirical data with = 17.809, = 13, = .1649, = 1.37, = .019, = .998, = .996, = .011, = .014 meeting the criteria.
2. The multi-level structural equation model of factors influencing students research skills under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission was consistent with empirical data with = 793.469 =, = 294, = .000, = 2.698, = .039, = .969, TLI = .962, = .025, = .191 . Levels of prediction can be presented as follows.
2.1 Variables used to predict dependent variables at student level were; learning behavior, social behavior, and the motivation to do research of students, they influenced the research skills of student at statistical significance of .01 with a coefficient of determination at 72.5%.
2.2 Variables predicting the model of research skill at the school level were; research skills of teachers, quality of teaching, quality teachers research, leadership in academic administration, and the atmosphere of doing research in school did not influence student research skills at statistical significance of .05.