Parent Perspectives on Private vs. Public School Choice

Introduction

The relevance of quality education cannot be overstated. Various stakeholders in the educational sector ought to be aware of the factors that impact the delivery of quality education. This awareness enables the formulation and implementation of interventions and better policies aimed at creating 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 concerns that need to be addressed in the public education system for it to appeal to parents. Stakeholders in the public education realm ought to understand the failings of the public education system so that they can actively participate in efforts to address those shortcomings.

The main research question is: What lies behind parents' motivation to enroll their children in private schools, as opposed to public schools?

The sub-questions are:

Research Design

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 the parent-school relationship?

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

In seeking to describe parents' perceptions of private and public schools, a descriptive research approach will be embraced. In the words of Corbin and Strauss (2008), "descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon" (p. 211). The approach, as the authors further note, can be categorized as either a survey study or correlational research. In the present study, a survey design is the most ideal approach. This is particularly the case given that, as Corbin and Strauss (2008) point out, surveys not only carry good statistical significance but are also convenient and associated with high representativeness.

Sampling Strategy

It should also be noted that, unlike correlational research, the survey approach makes it possible for a study to be applied to a single group or to several groups simultaneously. Further, the approach allows for the use of diverse methods and techniques in gathering data about the sample. These methods and techniques can include, but are not limited to, online surveys, questionnaires (mailed or hand-delivered), and interviews (face-to-face or telephone). Compared to various other approaches, surveys can also make it easier to obtain statistically significant results (Creswell, 2003). This is particularly true given the survey method's high representativeness. The relatively low cost of this approach is also an additional advantage in this context.

According to Corbin and Strauss (2008), a sample can be conceptualized as persons who are representative of the larger population. There are various advantages to using a sample in research. For instance, a sample saves a great deal of time and resources, as research without sampling would ordinarily need to target the entire population — a logistical challenge when that population is large.

In the present research, the first step in sampling will be the selection of academic institutions from which the sample will be drawn. A list of schools in the areas of interest will be obtained from the education ministry. A total of six public and six private schools will then be randomly selected from this list. After this stage, the researcher will determine each school's targeted sample. As Creswell (2003) observes, an ideal sample size ought to be largely representative of the entire population under study; a very small sample would not be ideal. With this in mind, a proportional sampling approach will be deployed, with the sample size set at 10 percent of the entire population under study.

Data Collection Method

Informed consent is also a crucial element of ethical research. As Lichtman (2006) points out, it is considered a key pillar of research ethics. In the author's words, the intent of informed consent "is that human participants can enter research freely (voluntarily) with full information about what it means for them to take part, and that they give consent before they enter the research" (p. 104). In many jurisdictions, all research undertakings involving human participants must incorporate informed consent. In the present study, identified participants will be requested to complete an informed consent form indicating their willingness to participate. The form will capture all relevant information — including the purpose of the research, the scope of participation, and the processes involved — so that participants can make a well-informed decision about whether to take part. Contact information will be included in the consent form so that participants can seek clarification about any aspect of the study.

The sample will comprise a total of 386 participants who will be randomly selected. The questionnaire survey is the primary data collection instrument, and participants will be asked to complete it. Corbin and Strauss (2008) describe a questionnaire survey as "a technique for gathering statistical information about the attributes, attitudes, or actions of a population by a structured set of questions" (p. 319). This instrument is ideal in the present context owing to its convenience and cost-effectiveness. Because the researcher does not need to be physically present while participants complete the questionnaire, the process can also be conducted relatively quickly. In the present study, follow-up focus group interviews will complement the data gathered from the questionnaire survey.

Participants will be expected to respond to a survey comprising four parts. The first section will capture participants' demographic information. The second part will assess private and public school academic factors and will include a total of 18 items. Section three (6 items) will measure the relationship between parents and the school, while section four (4 items) will assess parents' perceptions regarding facilities at academic institutions.

This research topic was chosen after observing that most parents within my personal network — specifically friends and relatives — were enrolling their children in private schools rather than public schools. This is therefore an issue I have witnessed firsthand. It matters to me in part because the government has historically invested significant amounts of money in the public education system. There is a genuine need to establish exactly why parents continue to favor private schools despite this substantial public investment. There is also a need for relevant stakeholders to develop a better understanding of the factors that influence parental decisions about their children's education, as this understanding will inform future efforts to improve educational quality.

Personally, I hold the view that the growing trend of parents opting for private over public schools is not ideal, given that citizens pay taxes in order to access better public services — including education, infrastructure, security, and healthcare. The proliferation of private schools while public schools are underpopulated represents, in my view, a missed opportunity to leverage public investment effectively.

I anticipate that this study will find that parents' decisions to enroll their children in private schools are motivated by the desire for a better learning environment. Such a finding would align with the conclusions of numerous prior studies that identify learning environment quality as a key factor in parental school-choice decisions.