The Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Inclusive Culture in the Secondary Schools under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office of Ubon Ratchathani Amnat Charoen

Abstract

This study had three objectives: 1) to investigate the components and indicators of inclusive school culture in schools under the Ubon Ratchathani–Amnat Charoen Secondary Educational Service Area Office; 2) to examine the goodness-of-fit between the proposed model of these components and indicators and the empirical data; and 3) to explore guidelines for developing inclusive school culture in schools under the same jurisdiction. The sample consisted of 240 school administrators and teachers, selected through stratified random sampling based on school size and educational networks to ensure proportional representation across all schools. The research instruments included a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire, which yielded a Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient of 0.946, and a semi-structured interview protocol designed to elicit guidelines for developing the components and indicators of inclusive school culture. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics, with confirmatory factor analysis conducted using Mplus version 7.0. The findings revealed that inclusive school culture comprised four components: 1) inclusive leadership; 2) administrators’ adaptive vision for responding to change; 3) shared values; and 4) collaborative teamwork. Each component consisted of three indicators, resulting in a total of 12 indicators. The findings indicated that the proposed model demonstrated a good fit with the empirical data, as evidenced by a chi-square value of 10.387 with 27 degrees of freedom (df), a non-significant p-value of 0.9983, a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.000, a standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) of 0.008, a comparative fit index (CFI) of 1.000, and a Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) of 1.019. These results confirm that the research model is consistent with the empirical data and provide four practical guidelines for developing the components and indicators of inclusive school culture in schools under the Ubon Ratchathani–Amnat Charoen Secondary Educational Service Area Office: 1) school administrators should demonstrate inclusive leadership by being accessible, flexible in management, and open to new ideas and continuous learning; 2) school administrators should possess an adaptive vision that enables them to anticipate and respond effectively to ongoing changes; 3) school administrators should value all members of the organization by fostering equality, mutual respect, and sincerity; and 4) school administrators should promote effective collaboration by encouraging teamwork and establishing shared organizational goals.