Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Soft Skills Development of Undergraduate Students toward Small Business Entrepreneurship in Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55164/ecbajournal.v18i2.283772Keywords:
Soft Skills Development, Undergraduate Students, Entrepreneurship, Small Business SectorAbstract
The objectives of this study were to examine the level of soft skills development among undergraduate students in the lower southern region of Thailand and to analyze the confirmatory factors of such skills in supporting small business entrepreneurship in the country. This quantitative research employed a sample of 400 personnel working in universities within the lower southern region of Thailand, selected through simple random sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.95. Data were analyzed using statistical software, employing mean and standard deviation, while confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the model fit with empirical data through structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that the overall soft skills development of undergraduate students was at the highest level. Leadership skills ranked first, followed by critical thinking, teamwork, and questioning and listening skills, respectively. The findings revealed that the measurement model for soft skills development among undergraduate students demonstrated a high level of goodness-of-fit with the empirical data. The model fit indices met the established criteria: x² = 5.73, df = 3, p = .125, GFI = .99, AGFI = .97 and RMR = .0018, demonstrate that the developed soft skills development model is consistent with the empirical data and effectively explains small business entrepreneurship in Thailand. These findings provide significant contributions by establishing a new benchmark for assessing personal and social skills in higher education. Furthermore, the model serves as a strategic tool for university administrators to systematically enhance student competencies in response to contemporary societal demands.
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