EFFECT OF LEARNING CLIMATE, THINKING PATTERN, AND CURIOSITY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This research aimed to examine the theoretical model that explains the relations among learning climate, thinking patterns, and curiosity on academic performance. This research was a non-experimental research with 1,000 respondents from State University of Surabaya, Indonesia. They came from 20 departments, consisting of 324 men and 676 women with a mean age of 19.81 years. Data were collected using a questionnaire, including inventory of learning climate, thinking patterns, and curiosity. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that the model was compatible with the data. The examination also showed the effect of the learning climate on thinking patterns, the influence of thinking patterns on curiosity, the influence of the learning climate on curiosity, and the influence of curiosity on academic performance. It is concluded that learning climate, thinking pattern, and curiosity play an important role in academic performance. Thus, the quality of students can be improved if curiosity is cultivated and reflective thinking patterns are formed. This requires serious efforts, both in policy and practice, to build a learning climate for the growth of students' thinking and curiosity.