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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Factors Influencing Learning Achievement and Attitudes of Students in Higher Agricultural Education in Thailand

(Thailand), Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Engineering (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Abstract:

 

The study had the general objective of determining the factors of influencing learning achievement and attitude of students toward agricultural education in Thailand. A survey questionnaire was administered to 382 third and fourth year agricultural education students enrolled during the academic year 1997-1998.

Descriptive statistics was used to summarize characteristics of respondents, while t-test was applied to determine the significant difference in attitude toward agricultural education, and learning achievement based on socio-demographic variables. The Pearson product moment coefficient and multiple regression were used to determine the relationship of factors influencing attitude toward agricultural education and learning achievement based on some socio-demographic characteristic variables, learning styles, teaching styles, teaching quality, self-concept, and achievement motive.

The mean scores of attitude toward agricultural education of student-respondents who graduated from the non-science learning program were higher than those from the science-learning program in high school, and the student-respondents whose mothers are farmers were higher than non-farmers. The research hypothesis that there was a significant difference in attitude toward agricultural education of students and sociodemographic variables was supported. The learning achievement of female studentrespondents was higher than that of the males. Likewise, the learning achievement of fourth year student-respondents was higher than the third year group, and the student respondents who graduated from high learning program in science were higher than those of the non-science respondents. Learning achievement among students whose fathers’ highest education was in primary level was higher than those whose fathers finished secondary school level or higher. Therefore, the research hypothesis that there was a significant difference in some socio-demographic factors among students with learning achievement was accepted.

The self-concept, achievement motive, teaching quality, indirect teaching style, direct teaching style, collaborative learning style, participant learning style, independent learning style, parents’ attention, dependent learning style, competitive learning style, and avoidant learning style were found to be significantly correlated with attitude toward agricultural education. The research hypothesis that there were significant relationships between some selected socio-demographic characteristic factors, self-concept, achievement motive, learning style, teaching style, teaching quality, and attitude toward agricultural education was accepted.

Also the hypothesis that there were significant relationships between some selected socio-demographic characteristic factors, self-concept, and learning style and learning achievement were accepted. Hence, there were significant relationships between gender, grade point average in high school, self-concept, participant learning style, collaborative learning style, avoidant learning style, and learning achievement.

The self-concept, achievement motive, and teaching quality explain the variance in attitude toward agricultural education. The variance in the learning achievement was influenced positively by gender, grade point average in high school, and collaborative learning style. On the other hand, avoidant learning style and parents’ attention had negative influence on learning achievement.