Learning Climate for Enhancing Innovative Behavior in Thai Higher Education

Abstract

Developing innovative behavior among students is one of the approaches employed to produce quality human resources who could function well in the labor market. This research aimed to study the relationship between learning climate and innovative behavior of undergraduate students. A sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted in two phases. Quantitative data were collected from 609 students in a public university, Thailand, and qualitative data were collected from 15 student focus group who were categorized by the students’ varying innovative behavior scores. The results from the quantitative phase revealed that the learning climate had both significant direct (β = .34, p < .05), and indirect effects on the students’ innovative behavior through cognitive flexibility (β = .44, p < .05). In the qualitative phase, the reason why the learning climate had affected innovative behavior was explained. The results were categorized into three themes: learning climate support; motivation and interest; and adjustment in the work process. The quantitative and qualitative findings from the two phases indicated that the suitable management of learning climate caused the students to demonstrate innovative behavior both directly through climate for learning, and indirectly through their interest in the assignments. This resulted in the students’ intention to adapt their work methods to render the most valuable outcomes. The cognitive flexibility of the thinking process also enabled work behaviors that were more innovation driven. These research results could be used by institutes as a framework to design training, particularly in subjects with a primary focus innovation development. Copyright © Behavioral Science Research Institute