Factors Related to Research Decision-Making of Support Personnel at the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and decisions to conduct research among support staff; 2) to compare demographic characteristics with the staff’s research decision-making; and 3) to investigate factors related to the decision to conduct research of the support staff at the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon. This study employed a quantitative research design, using a questionnaire as the tool to collect data from 21 support staff members, who were selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. The results indicated that overall factors influencing research decision-making were at a high level ( = 4.10, S.D. = .166). Attitude toward conducting research was rated at the highest level ( = 4.57, S.D. = .169), followed by research decision-making ( = 4.36, S.D. = .377) and motivation ( = 4.32, S.D. = .248), while perception was at a moderate level ( = 3.16, S.D. = .688). These findings suggest that supporting staff demonstrated positive attitudes and decision-making toward research; however, further development of research-related knowledge and skills is still required. The comparison of demographic characteristics revealed that educational level significantly affected all factors at the .05 level, whereas age, job group, and work experience significantly influenced perception and research decision-making. Gender significantly affected perception and motivation. The correlation analysis showed that the studied factors were positively correlated with research decision-making at a high level, with statistical significance at the .001 level (r = .766). This reflects that increases in attitudes, perceptions, and motivation lead to a greater intention to conduct research.