Causal Factors Influencing Scientific Attitude of Lower Secondary Education Level in the Phetchabun Secondary Educational Service Area Office

Abstract

          The purposes of this research were to 1) develop a causal relationship model of affects science attitudes of junior high school students. 2) examine the consistency of the causal relationship model affecting scientific attitudes with empirical data.The research sample was a group of 296 lower secondary education level students in Phetchabun secondary educational service area office. The research instrument was a questionnaire. The data were statistically analyzed through SPSS program and Mplus program.
          The following were the results: The four latent variables of the measurement model were fit with the empirical data. The factor loadings of all variables were positive in range  of 0.785 to 0.909 at .05 statistical significant.The structural equation model of scientific attitudes was also fit with the empirical data (𝑥² = 46.497, df = 37, p-value = 0.1362  𝑥²/df = 1.257 , CFI = 0.997 , TLI = 0.996 , SRMR = 0.013 , RMSEA = 0.029)  The variables effect on the scientific attitudes are directly influenced by self-concept in science (0.742) Indirect influences from scientific curiosity through self-concept in science (1.012)  and Indirectly influenced by self-direction in learning science through scientific curiosity and scientific self-concept (0.840)