DEVELOPMENT OF A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP MODEL OF SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AFFECTING SOCIAL OUTCOMES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a causal relationship model of school effectiveness in social outcomes of secondary schools, 2) examine the congruence between the development of the causal relationship model of school effectiveness and the empirical data, and 3) study the direct, indirect and total influential factors of the causal relationship model of school effectiveness on social outcomes in secondary schools. This was mixed methods research which was divided into 2 phases: Phase 1: establishing the research conceptual framework by analyzing relevant documents and research, and interviewing 54 school administrators, teachers and students from small, medium and large secondary schools, and Phase 2: testing the research hypothesis by collecting data using questionnaires with an overall reliability value of 0.98. The sample group consisted of 502 administrators and teachers from 108 secondary schools under Secondary Educational Service Area Office in the academic year 2022 and was selected by multi-stage random sampling. Data were analyzed by calculating frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, Pearson's correlation coefficient, first order confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation model analysis.

The results of this research showed that: 1) the causal relationship model of school effectiveness in social outcomes of secondary schools consisted of 5 factors, which were: positive leadership of administrators, instructional leadership of teachers, school quality culture of the schools , learning management processes, and school effectiveness in social outcomes; 2) the causal relationship model of school effectiveness in social outcomes of secondary schools that was developed was consistent with the empirical data with the following statistical values: χ2= 17.72, P-value = 0.911, DF= 27, χ2/DF = 0.656, GFI = 0.995, AGFI = 0.980, RMR = 0.014, SRMR = 0.014, RMSEA = 0.000, CFI = 1.00, and CN = 1329.14. When considering the prediction coefficient (R2) of the 5 factors, it was found that they could together explain 90 percent of the variance of school effectiveness in social outcomes of secondary schools; and 3) factors with direct influence on school effectiveness in social outcomes of secondary schools, in descending order, were learning management processes and instructional leadership of teachers. Factors with indirect influence were: positive leadership of administrators had indirect influence through learning management processes; instructional leadership of teachers had indirect influence through school quality culture and learning management processes; and school quality culture had indirect influence through learning management processes. Total influences, in descending order, were learning management processes, instructional leadership of teachers, positive leadership of administrators, and school quality culture.