Factors Affecting School Choice Observations from Nakhon Ratchasima Municipality

Main Article Content

Banjob Boonchan
Arisa Nopphakhun

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the factors influencing decision making for children to study in schools. A survey was distributed to school board members, principals, teachers, parents, and students (N= 364). Data were analysed by means of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. The study indicated building and environment, teachers, reputation of the school, tuition fees, and relationships with the community influenced the decision of parents to send theirchildren to a particular school, at a statistical significance level at or above .05. The most influential factor was building and environment. Teachers, school reputation, tuition fees were next in importance, and finally the relationships with the community. The correlated coefficient between these factors and the decision to send their children to a school was .92. These factors could explain 84.0% of the variance in deciding to send their children to a particular school.

Article Details

Section
Research Articles

References

Aunsiri, T., Kaewsuk, S., & Phattaraphakin, K. (2018). Factors affecting the decision making of parents on sending their children to study at small secondary school under the Educational Service Office Area 6. RMUTP Research Journal Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 11–22.

Bosetti, L. (2004). Determinants of school choice: Understanding how parents choose elementary schools in Alberta. Journal of Education Policy, 19(4), 387–405.

Brooks, M. (2015). School principals in Southern Thailand: Exploring trust with community leaders during conflict. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(2), 232–252.

Bryman, A., & Cramer, D. (1997). Quantitative data analysis with SPSS for Windows: A guide for social scientists. Routledge.

Christopher, G. (1991). Effect of architecture on education. CEFPl's Educational Facility Planner, 29(1), 10–12.

Davison, K., Werder, J., & Lawson, C. (2008). Children’s active commuting to school: Current knowledge and future directions. Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(3), 1–11.

Draper, J. (2012). Reconsidering compulsory English in developing countries in Asia: English in a community of Northeast Thailand. TESOL Quarterly, 46(4), 777–811.

Draper, J. (2015). Towards a curriculum for the Thai Lao of Northeast Thailand? Current Issues in Language Planning, 16(3), 81–105.

Earthman, G. (2004). Prioritization of 31 criteria for school building adequacy. American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Maryland.

Fabian, H. (2012). Children starting school: A guide to successful transitions and transfers for teachers and assistants. David Fulton Publishers.

Fairlie, R. (2006). Racial segregation and the private/public school choice. National Center of Privatization in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Fry, G., Bi, H., & Apahung, R. (2018). Regional educational disparities in Thailand. In G. W. Fry (Ed.), Education in Thailand: An old elephant in search of a new mahout (pp. 373–391). Springer.

Higgins, S., Hall, E., Wall, K., Woolner, P., & McCaughey, C. (2005). The impact of school environments: A literature review. The Design Council. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232607630

Knodel, J., & Saengtienchai, C. (2007). Rural parents with urban children: Social and economic implications of migration for the rural elderly in Thailand. Population, Space and Place, 13, 193–210.

Korinek, K., & Punpuing, S. (2012). The effect of household and community on school attrition: An analysis of Thai youth. Comparative Education Review, 56(3), 474–510.

Lampadan, N. (2008). Factors affecting parents’ choice of the Adventist International Mission School (AIMS) in Muak Lek, Saraburi, Thailand. The Scriptor, 9, 57–69.

Lang, D., Chan, H., Pask-Aube, C., & Swift, K. (2009, May 25–27). Does the level of tuition fees affect student retention and graduation? [Paper presentation]. The Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

Moore, J., & Donaldson, J. (2016). Human-scale economics: economic growth and poverty reduction in Northeastern Thailand. World Development, 85, 1–15.

Oketch, M., Mutisya, M., Ngware, M., & Ezeh, A. C. (2010). Why are there proportionately more poor pupils enrolled in non-state schools in urban Kenya in spite of FPE Policy?” International Journal of Educational Development, 30, 23–32.

Pholphirul, P., & Teimtad, S. (2018). Living with parents and educational outcomes in developing countries: Empirical evidence from PISA Thailand. Journal of Population Research, 35(1), 87–105.

Sankham, S., & Hamra, W. (2016). Factors affecting student decisions to study at Asia-Pacific International University. Catalyst, 13(1), 4–14.

Shirai, Y., & Rambo, A. (2017). Household structure and sources of income in a rice-growing village in northeast Thailand. Southeast Asian Studies, 6(2), 275–292.

Sripongwiwat, S., Bunterm, T., & Tang, K. (2018). An investigation of learning stressors among secondary school students: A case study in northeast Thailand. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 39(2), 197–206.

Stein, M., Goldring, E., & Cravens, X. (2011). Do parents do as they say? In M. Berends, M. Cannata, & E. Goldring (Eds.), School Choice and School Improvement (pp. 103–114). Harvard Education Press.

Ting, S., & Lee, D. (2019). Determinants of primary school choice in Malaysia: School proximity and ethnicity-related reasons. Journal of School Choice, 13(2), 228–254. doi: 10.1080/15582159.2019.1574464

Tongpoon-Patanasorn, A. (2011). Impact of learner-centeredness on primary school teachers: A case study in Northeast Thailand. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 8(3), 1–28.

Yaacob, N., Osman, M., & Bachok, S. (2014). Factors influencing parents’ decision in choosing private schools. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, 242–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.058

Zuilkowski, S. S., Piper, B., Ong’ele, S., & Kiminza, O. (2018). Parents, quality, and school choice: Why parents in Nairobi choose low-cost private schools over public schools in Kenya’s free primary education era. Oxford Review Education, 44(2), 258–274.