A multi-group structural equation model (SEM) examining attitude toward statistics effects on academic achievement by gender Muji Gunarto (a*), Dian Cahyawati (b)
a) Universitas Bina Darma. Jl Jend A Yani No 3 Palembang, INDONESIA.
*) mgunarto[at]binadarma.ac.id
b) Universitas Sriwijaya. Jl Raya Palembang-Prabumulih Km 32 Indralaya, INDONESIA.
Abstract
Educators in the university level have a great challenge in delivering introductory statistics course because most of students view that statistics is a difficult subject. That difficulty views of statistics affect on lazyness to learn and to joint in the statistics class. The purpose of this study was to identify students attitudes toward statistics based on gender and to examine the relationship between attitudes toward statistics (ATS) and academic achievement (AA). The sample was selected purposively as much as 118 students who joint in the introductory statistics course from two different field of studies in one of the universities in South Sumatra. The ATS was measured by six dimension, namely affective, cognitive competence, value, difficulty, interest, and effort. The AA was measured by the Grade Point Average and the final score of introductory statistics course. The data analysis used a multigroup structural equation model. The results showed that the ATS measurement model can be explained by the dimensions of value, interest, effort, and affective whereas the difficulty and the cognitive dimensions were not consistent in explaining its model both for men and women. The relationship between ATS and AA was no significant neither for men and women.
