Reasons Influencing Selection Decision Making of Parental Choice of School

Abstract

There are various studies, primarily conducted in the Western World, that have investigated the reasons why parents select a school, which they perceive best meets their children’s needs and parental aspirations for their children. In order to contribute to the established knowledge it was essential to conduct an investigation into parents’ reasons for their selection private or public school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Such an investigation had not been conducted previously. This article details identified a factor highly regarded as influencing parental decision making: Academic Factor - divided into three identified elements - class size, quality of instruction and student/teacher relationship. Analysis and discussion along with the study’s conclusions and recommendations will be cited. Randomly selected parents, whose children attend private or public schools in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia were invited to complete a standardized questionnaire after which to participate in a semi-structured interview to identify factors that influenced their preference for school. Two methodologies analysis of the reasons given highlighted demonstrating the frequency of cited range of reasons: class size, quality of instruction and student/teacher relationships, identified as the main elements that influenced their selection decision making.