A Study of Intelligence Quotient for Primary School Students in Mahasarakham Province

Abstract

This research focuses on intelligence quotient (IQ) of the primary school students in Mahasarakham Province. There are 5,053 subjects from 64 schools under the Mahasarakham Primary Education Office. Stratified Random Sampling is applied in selecting the subjects. The subjects are divided according to their districts and school sizes (Small, Medium-Sized, and Large) with three units: schools, classrooms, and students. The results are shown in both “Descriptive Statistics” to describe demographic factors and “Inferential Statistics” to compare the cognitive levels among the elementary school students from different demographic factors. The results of the study indicate that the IQ of the primary school students in Mahasarakham Province is at the normal level. Most of them, 3,358 students or 66.46%, have the average level of IQ. 148 students or 2.93% have the higher-than-average level while 68 students or 1.35% had the lower-than-average level. After considering the IQ of the students on an individual basis in the designated educational area, there are different factors contributing to the results including the sizes of the school, the parents’ education level, and the parents’ average monthly incomes (F = 2.521, P-value = 0.040). The level of intelligence is not only the result of genetics and environment, but also the result of many internal and external factors. The study shows that the level of intelligence among the elementary school students in Mahasarakham is at the average level with different basic information and factors such as individuals, families, and schools. Therefore, all related sectors to educational development should realize the importance of promoting the students’ intelligence in order to reach the students’ full potential.