A Quality School from the Perspective of Parents' Expectations

A child's entry into primary school is an important life event for parents that is accompanied not just by the child’s expectations but also those of the parents themselves. We have attempted to interpret them in the present study, which presents the results of a quantitative research investigation conducted through random multi-stage stratified sampling based on analysing relevant surveys and building on the authors' previous qualitative investigations. The sample studied was 504 parents of pupils in Years 1 and 2 who attended selected primary schools in the 2020/2021 school year. The main data collection tool was an online questionnaire that mapped primary school choice strategies and parents' expectations of the school, schooling, and teachers. These factors were then examined in relation to the variable choice of an educational program and parents' attitudes toward education (an academic approach versus a personalistic one). We found that parents' expectations of school choice are principally divided according to whether respondents believe school should fulfil the more traditional role of education or whether they prefer their children to develop their personalities and seek an alternative educational program or school for their offspring.

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