Abstract:
The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the opinions towards factors
affecting delayed graduation of graduate students of Suratthani Rajabhat University
and 2) to compare the opinions towards factors affecting delayed graduation of
graduate students based on gender, age, marital status, work status, prior research
experience, habitat, and field of study. The sample included 92 graduate students,
who enrolled in the academic year 2013 2014, whose study period of five years
would be expired. Data were collected by the questionnaire and were analyzed by
frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
The research results showed that the analysis of the opinions towards the
factors affecting delayed graduation of the graduate students was at a moderate
level. Considering individual aspects, the opinions towards the factors were at a
moderate level in four aspects ranked in descending order: research background
knowledge, management of academic research sources, personal characteristics;
processes, procedures, regulations, and guidelines, respectively. In addition, the opinions
towards the factors were at a low level in two aspects ranked in descending order:
curriculum management and research advisors, respectively. The analysis of the
opinions towards the factors affecting delayed graduation of the graduate students
based on personal characteristics showed that the opinions of the graduate students
with different gender, age, marital status, work status, prior research experience,
habitat, and field of study were identical. In addition, the analysis of the personal
characteristics regarding prior research experience and the factors of delayed graduation
regarding curriculum management was different at a statistical significance level of
0.05. Furthermore, the research results showed that the graduate students were committed and responsible for assignments; however, the students lacked a continuity
in doing research, disciplines, enthusiasm, and research background knowledge,
which resulted in defective works. Apart from that, the academic research sources
were very limited.