A Discriminant Analysis of Factors Influencing Life Skills of the Students in the Class Interval 3 in Udon Thani Province

Abstract

Life skills were abilities of human in various aspects in responding to external
environment and internal ones’ mind which facilitating the person to live happily
in the society. This research aimed to compare factors influencing life skills of the
class interval 3 students and to discriminately analyze the factors influencing life
skills of the class interval 3 students who had high and low life skills. Samples
were 572 class interval 3 students attending in the academic year of 2010 in
Udon Thani Province, obtained using the stratifed random sampling technique.
Research instruments consisted of 1) an 8-part questionaire on factors influencing
life skills consisted of a questionnaire on psychology, a questionnaire on self-concept,
a questionnaire on family relationship, a questionnaire on child raising, a questionnaire
on friendship , a questionnaire on learning environment, a questionnaire on interaction
between teachers and students and a questionnaire on mass media information
receiving and 2) a life skill test. The collected data were analyzed by a discriminant
analysis.
The results of the study were as follows:
1. The comparison of the factors between the students with different high
and low life skills showed the variables of psychology, self -concept, family relationship,
child raising, friendship, learning environment, interaction between teachers and
students and mass media information receiving differently at .01 level of signifcance.
2. There were 5 variables that discriminated students who had high and
low life skills consisted of friendship (X
5
), learning environment (X
6
), self concept
(X
2
), psychology (X
1
) and mass media information receiving (X
8
) which could predict
members of the students with different life skills accurately at 74.10 percent. The
discriminant equations in raw and standard scores were as follows :
The discriminant equation in raw scores
Y/ = - 8 .143 + .075 X
5
+ .049 X
6
+ .045 X
2
+ .038 X
1
+ .035 X
8
The discriminant equation in standard scores
Z/
Y
= .385 Z
5
+ .286 Z
6
+ .278 Z
2
+ .219 Z
1
+.201 Z
8
In conclusion, the research fndings could suggest the variables of friendship,
learning environment, self-concept, psychology and mass media information receiving
in discriminating the students had high and low life skills which was information for
developing, supporting or correcting the students for a higher life skill.