Synthesis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Entrepreneurial Mindset among Thai Secondary School Students
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Abstract
This study aimed to 1. Synthesize and validate the components of the entrepreneurial mindset among secondary school students through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). 2. Examine the levels of entrepreneurial mindset among students and compare differences across gender and grade levels. The sample consisted of 601 students from Grades 7 to 12 at a science high school, selected through simple random sampling. The research instrument was a 20-item Entrepreneurial Mindset Questionnaire covering five constructs: Opportunity Recognition, Adaptability, Problem Solving, Value Creation, and Uncertainty Acceptance. The results of the second-order CFA indicated an excellent model fit with the empirical data (c² = 167.75, df = 114, p = .001, CFI = 0.996, TLI = 0.995, RMSEA = 0.028, SRMR = 0.048). All standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.63 to 0.75 and were statistically significant at the .05 level. The inter-factor correlations were high (r = 0.872–0.952), suggesting that Thai students’ entrepreneurial mindset functions as a holistic cognitive system rather than a set of distinct dimensions. Among the five constructs, Value Creation (b = 0.98) exerted the strongest influence, followed by Problem Solving and Uncertainty Acceptance. This finding indicates that students who can integrate knowledge to create new value, solve problems creatively, and adapt effectively to uncertainty tend to demonstrate a higher level of entrepreneurial mindset. Overall, the results confirm that the second-order entrepreneurial mindset model demonstrates strong convergent and structural validity. The validated model can serve as a conceptual framework for assessing students’ entrepreneurial competencies at the secondary level and as a foundation for developing assessment tools, curricula, and learning activities that foster entrepreneurial thinking within science and STEM education in Thailand. Furthermore, comparative analysis revealed that upper-secondary students scored significantly higher across all dimensions than lower-secondary students, reflecting developmental growth in entrepreneurial cognition through accumulated learning experiences.
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