Causal Factors Influencing Achievement in Online Calculus Learning of Learners in Higher Education Institutions in Bangkok Metropolitan Region DOI:

Abstract

This research aims to study the causal factors affecting academic achievement in an online Calculus course and to investigate the relationship between parents' demographic characteristics and students' academic achievement. The sample group consisted of 400 undergraduate students from higher education institutions in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, selected using Simple Random Sampling. A 5-point rating scale questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The statistical methods used for data analysis included the Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

The study found that parents' demographic characteristics, specifically their highest educational level and family income, were statistically and significantly related to students' academic achievement. In the context of online learning, which has several limitations, the difficulty of the Calculus course content becomes even more complex. The structural analysis of the relationship between the six causal factors—achievement motivation, academic background, family economic status, family social status, instructional management, and information technology—revealed that the model was consistent with empirical data and could explain 82.0% of the variance in online Calculus academic achievement. The factors, in order of decreasing influence, were family economic status, family social status, instructional management, achievement motivation, academic background, and information technology.

The findings of this research highlight the importance of family's economic and social context, as well as the quality of instructional management and technological support, on students' academic achievement in online Calculus. Key policy recommendations include offering foundational mathematics courses for students before they take Calculus, developing modern technology-based instructional innovations, continuously monitoring and evaluating learning outcomes, and promoting quality interaction between instructors and students to enhance learning effectiveness in an online context.