Thai Student Executive Function: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)

Abstract

Developmental research suggests that executive function (EF) develops from age seven onward and is related to academic success. EFs are also known as cognitive control or executive control and make it possible for children to play with ideas, think before acting, take on new and unanticipated challenges, resist temptations, and stay focused. Therefore, given the importance of EF on a child's development and capabilities, the authors used multistage sampling to survey 500 primary-school educators and administrators serving under the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority's Department of Education (BMA-DOE) in the 2021 academic year. The questionnaire used a five-level opinion scale to assess each educator's opinion concerning each EF element. These included working memory (WM), goal-setting (GS), goal-directed behaviors (GDB), cognitive control and flexibility (CCF), and systematic management planning, action, and self-assessment (SMA). The CFA used LISREL 9.1 to examine the structural integrity of the variables concerning each student's EF abilities. Additionally, a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index analysis and Bartlett's test of sphericity (BTS) suitability level of the variables were performed. The results from the analysis showed that the teachers believed that a student’s GDB was most essential. Next was both CCF and SMA, judged to be equal in importance, followed by GS and WM. The implication is that Thai educators perceive a student's positive attitude and commitment toward their assignments as essential EF elements.