Editing: research/abstract_eng/706.txt

The objectives of this study were to find variables correlating with continuing educational intention and behaviors and to determine a relationship between continuing educational intention and behaviors of Prathom Suksa 6 students in the Educational Opportunity Extension Area for the Lower Secondary level in Nakon Si Thammarat Province. This study applied the theory of Reasoned Action and Liska' s Revision Model. The Liska model variables, external variables, were sex, grade point average, parents' education, parents' career, family income, number of brothers and sisters, birth order, and having the elders who studied higher than the compulsory education level. The theory of Reasoned Action variables were attitude towards continuing education and subjective norm the dependent variables were the continuing educational intention and behaviors. A data collection had two stages. First, the researcher collected data on all external variables, attitude towards continuing education, subjective norm, and continuing educational intention. The sample was Prathom Suksa VI students in the 2nd semester of 1988 Academic Year. Second, the continuing educational behaviors was collected in 1st semester of 1989 academic year while pent of the sample with the behaviores was in Matayom Suksa I. The findings were as follows. 1. External variables-sex, grade point average, parents' education, parents's career, family income, number of brothers and sisters, birth order, and having the elders who studied higher than the compulsory education level, were able to predict the intention of continuing education significantly (p < .001). The coefficient of determination R2 was 16.78 2. The attitude towards continuing education and subjective norm were able to predict the intention of continuing education significantly at .001 level. The coefficients of determination were 27.40 and 28.22, respectively. 3. Both attitude towards continuing education and subjective norm were able to predict the intention of continuing education significantly at .001 level and the coefficient of determination was 36.27. 4. Both external variables and attitude towards continuing education were able to predict the intention of continuing education significantly at .001 level and the coefficient of determination was 35.60. 5. Both external variables and subjective norm were able to predict the intention of continuing education significantly at .001 level and the coefficient of determination was 33.44. 6. External variables, attitude towards continuing education and subject norm altogether was able to perdict the intention of continuing education significantly at .001 level and the coefficient of determination was 40.90. 7. Both attitude towards continuing education and subjective norm was the better predictor of the intention continuing of education when compared of the external variables. 8. Three of the external variables-grade point average, parents' education, and having the elders who studied higher than the compulsory education level correlated significantly (p< .001) with the continuing educational behaviors. The correlation coefficients were .3018, .2129 and .2193, respectively. Also attitude towards continuing education, subjective norm and continuing education intention correlated significantly (p< .001) with the continuing behaviors, the correlation coefficents were .3129, .3227, and .4310, respectively. In summary, the findings indicated that variables correlating significantly with both continuing educational intention and behaviors were grade point average, parents' education, having the elders who studied higher than the compulsory education level, attitude towards continuing education and subjective norm. Continuing education intention correlated significantly continuing educational behaviors of Pratom Suksa VI students in the area of the Increased Educational Opportunity for the lower Secondary Level in Nakon Si Thammarat.