Factors of Parents’ Decision to Enroll their Children in Schools under the Ratchaburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 2

Abstract

This research article aims to 1) to analyze the factors of parents' decision to send their children to study in schools, 2) to compare parents' decision to send their children to study in schools according to the size of the school. The sample group consisted of 426 parents of students in schools under the Ratchaburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 2, drawn by stratified random sampling according to school size. The research tools were questionnaires and interview forms. Data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Exploratory component analysis and one-way analysis of variance. The findings of this research were as follows: 1. The result of the factors of parents’ decision to enroll their children in school under the Ratchaburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 2 consisted of 5 factors with 32 variables, including 1) The roles of teachers and administrators, 2) Community participation, 3) Teaching and learning management, 4) Student development according to their abilities, and 5) Building facilities' development.        2. In the comparison of the factors of parents’ decisions to enroll their children in small, medium, and large schools under the Ratchaburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 2, schools of different sizes were found. There is an overview of the elements that influence parents’ decisions about sending their children to school. The difference was statistically significant at.05 when considering each component. There is an element of community participation, student development according to their abilities, building facilities' development, and teaching and learning management vary according to the size of the school.