METHODOLOGY

Parent Perspectives on Why They Send their Children to Private Schools, as Opposed to Public Schools

Methodology

Introduction

The relevance of quality education cannot be overstated. Towards this end, various stakeholders in the educational sector ought to be aware of the various factors that impact the delivery of quality education. This way, interventions and better policies can be formulated and implemented in an attempt to create effective and conducive learning environments. A significant amount of money is assigned each year by the government to the public education sector. The fact that parents opt to enroll their children in private schools is a clear indication that there are some issues and/or concerns that need to be addressed in the public education system for the same to appeal to parents. Stakeholders in the public education realm ought to be aware of the failings of the public education system so that they can be active participants in efforts to address the said systems specific undesirable attributes (in the eyes of parents).

The main research question will be:

What lies behind the motivation by parents to enroll their children in private schools, as opposed to public schools?

The sub-questions will be:

Is the decision by parents to enroll their children in private schools influenced by academic factors?

Is the decision by parents to enroll their children in private schools influenced by parent-school relationship?

Is the decision by parents to enroll their children in private schools influenced by availability (or unavailability) of school facilities?

Research Design

In seeking to describe the parents private and public schools perceptions, there will be need to embrace a descriptive research approach. It is important to note that in the words of Corbin and Strauss (2008), descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon (211). The approach, as the authors further point out, could be categorized into; survey study and correlational research. In the present study, the most ideal approach will be a survey design. This is more so the case given that this particular approach, as Corbin and Strauss (2008) point out, not only has good statistical significance, but is also convenient and is associated with high representativeness. It should also be noted that unlike correlational research, this particular approach makes it possible for the study to be applied to a single group or several groups. Further, the approach would make it possible for one to make use of diverse methods or techniques in efforts to gather data about the sample. The said method and techniques could be inclusive of, but they are not limited to, online surveys, questionnaires (mailed or hand-delivered), interviews (face-to-face or telephone), etc. In comparison to the various other approaches, surveys...

This, according to the author, is more so the case given the survey methods high representativeness. It would also be prudent to note that the low cost nature of this approach could also be deemed a plus in this particular context.

Sampling Strategy

According to Corbin and Strauss (2008), a sample could be conceptualized as persons that could be deemed representative of the larger population. There are various advantages of the utilization of a sample in research. For instance, a sample helps save a great deal of time and resources. This is more so the case given that without a sample, research would ordinarily target the entire population a logistical nightmare in those instances where there is a large population involved.

In the present research, the first step in as far as sampling is concerned will be the selection of the academic institutions for sample determination....

…data collection, I will seek to embrace objectivity. This also means that deliberate effort will be apportioned towards the observance of objectivity in the construction of the instrument. Thus, queries will in this case be clear and logical. Further, effort will be made to ensure that wordings are direct and in plain English. In the course of data collection, I will minimize bias by being aware of, and making deliberate efforts to reduce selection bias. When it comes to data analysis, I will seek to ensure that data is coded by more than one person.

Data Analysis

The relevant statistical techniques will be deployed via the utilization of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Some of the more crucial steps have been highlighted below:

In seeking to come up with an illustration of the sample demographic information, calculation of simple descriptive statistical tools will be undertaken. These will be inclusive of means, SD, as well as proportions and frequencies.

To assess the research tool reliability as well as validity, the researcher will run Pearson product-moment Correlation Coefficients as well as Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient.

To determine whether the intended dimension was supported by factor analyses, there will be need to check the composition of the questionnaire dimension. This will be done using factor analysis.

To establish the differences that could be deemed statistically significant between private and public academic institution perceptions, sample T-tests will be run.

To establish the extent to which the independent variable is influenced by the dependent variable in as far as choice o school is concerned, logistic regression will be utilized.

To establish the extent to which parental perception about choice of school is correlated to independent factors, Pearson correlation will be utilized.

Thematic Analyses will be used to analyze and code the qualitative data. The findings of…