The thermal behaviors of 2,3‐bis[(2‐hydroxyphenyl)methylene] diaminopyridine, oligo‐2,3‐bis[(2‐hydroxyphenyl)methylene] diaminopyridine, and some oligo‐2,3‐bis[(2‐hydroxyphenyl) methylene] diaminopyridine–metal complexes were studied in a nitrogen atmosphere with thermogravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis techniques. The decompositions of oligo‐2,3‐bis[(2‐hydroxyphenyl) methylene] diamino pyridine–metal complexes occurred in multiple steps. The values of the activation energy (E) and reaction order of the thermal decomposition were calculated by means of several methods, including Coats–Redfern, Horowitz–Metzger, Madhusudanan–Krishnan–Ninan, van Krevelen, Wanjun–Yuwen–Hen–Cunxin, and MacCallum–Tanner on the basis of a single heating rate. The most appropriate method was determined for each decomposition step according to a least‐squares linear regression. The E values obtained by each method were in good agreement with each other. It was found that the E values of the complexes for the first decomposition stage followed the order EOHPMDAP–Ni > EOHPMDAP–Cd > EOHPMDAP–Cu > EOHPMDAP–Fe > EOHPMDAP–Zn > EOHPMDAP–Co > EOHPMDAP–Cr > EHPMDAP > EOHPMDAP. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013