The Factors Affecting Mathematical Problem Solving Ability of Prathomsuksa 6 Students under the Office of Roi-Et Elementary Educational Service Area Zone 2 : A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

This research aims to create and validate a model of factors affecting the ability to solve
mathematical problems of the students under the Office of Roi-Et Elementary Educational Service
Area Zone 2, To study the variables Prathomsuksa 6 Students and to study the influences at the
classroom-level of that affecting the ability of solving mathematical problems under the Office of
Roi-Et Elementary Educational Service Area Zone 2, The sample consisted of 840 Prathomsuksa 6
students attending the second semester of the academic year 2011 from 36 classrooms in 31
schools under the Office of Roi-Et Elementary Educational Service Area Zone 2, obtained using the
Multi - Stage Random Sampling technique. The research instruments used in this study were. Test
of prior mathematics knowledge with difficulties ranging from .33 -.62, discriminating powers
ranging from .23 -.59 and a reliability of .83 ; Test of ability to solve mathematical problems with
difficulties ranging from .25 -.73, discriminating powers ranging from .20 -.70 and a reliability of .84 ;
Test of the scholastic aptitude with difficulties ranging from .20 - .73, discriminating powers ranging
from .23 - .70 and a reliability of .82 ; Queries factors that affecting the ability to solve
mathematical problems of the students 5 factors including the achievement motivation, the
attitudes toward mathematics, the attention to learning, the mathematics teacher’s teaching
behaviors and mathematics teaching quality with discriminating powers ( rXY ) ranging from .286 -
.636 and reliabilities ranging from .77- .86 respectively. Data analysis using descriptive statistics,
multiple correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multilevel confirmatory factor
analysis (mCFA) and multilevel structural equation model (MSEM).

The results of the research were as follows :
1. Multilevel structural equation model of the factors affecting the ability to solve
mathematical problems of the Prathomsuksa 6 students of Roi – Et Elementary Educational
Service Area Zone 2 were in harmony with the empirical data by considering the statistical validity
of the model as below :  2 = 1470.281, df = 489, CFI = .955, TLI = .947, RMSEA = .049, SRMRW =
.022, SRMRB = .056 and  2 /df = 3.006
2. The factors at the student level (within group) that had both direct and indirect
influences on the ability of mathematical problems solving were the prior mathematics knowledge
and the achievement motivation. The effect size of the prior mathematics knowledge through
attitudes toward mathematics was .360. The achievement motivation was the indirect factors that
influenced on the ability of mathematical problems solving, and the effect size was .182 and .501.
The attention to learning has direct effect on the ability of the students in solving mathematical
problems, and the effect size was .327. The aptitude and attitude toward mathematics have
indirect effect on the ability of the students in solving mathematical problems through the prior
mathematics knowledge, and the effect size was .262 and .654. The prediction coefficients of the
variables in the estimation of all model variables predicted the ability of students to solve
mathematical problems at 89.6 percent.
3. The factors at the classroom level (between group) that had direct influences on
the ability of mathematical problems solving were the mathematics teacher’s teaching behaviors
and mathematics teaching quality, the effect size was .159 and .163. The mathematics teacher’s
teaching behaviors had both directly and indirectly influence on the ability to solve mathematical
problems through the quality of classroom teaching of mathematics teachers, the effect size was
.598. The prediction coefficients of the dependent variables in all estimation models to predict all
the variables at the classroom level predicted the ability to solve mathematical problems of the
classroom at 37.2 percent.