How Saudi parents rationalize the choice of school for their children

The study examines whether Saudi parents act rationally when choosing schools for their children by weighing costs and benefits across cultural, linguistic, accessibility, wellbeing, and academic dimensions. It situates the inquiry within an evolving Saudi education landscape where private and international schools have expanded due to regulatory reforms and incentives, offering diverse curricula (e.g., American, British, IB) and English-medium instruction. Ministry of Education statistics indicate growing enrollment in private and international schools, and policy initiatives (e.g., ETEC’s Tarteed index) emphasize standardized outcomes. Despite this expansion, limited research explores how Saudi parents process information, prioritize preferences, and apply rational criteria in school choice. This study addresses that gap by analyzing parents’ decision-making factors and the extent to which rational considerations guide choices in the Saudi context.

The paper frames parental school choice through rational choice theory, which assumes individuals maximize utility by evaluating options via cost–benefit analysis, information processing, preference satisfaction, and heuristics. Parents weigh tuition, transportation, and opportunity costs against perceived benefits such as academic quality, cultural fit, and future opportunities. Information sources include rankings, test results, peer recommendations, and online resources; heuristics like reputation and social networks often guide choices when information or time is limited. In Saudi Arabia, cultural identity, religious values, and educational philosophy are central influences, alongside utility maximization around quality, extracurriculars, and future prospects. The broader literature identifies six dimensions differentiating parents who actively choose schools: demographic characteristics (socioeconomic status, education, ethnicity), satisfaction with prior schools, educational priorities (e.g., English-medium instruction, religious education, location, safety, facilities, diversity), parental involvement, social networks (word-of-mouth, media, interpersonal ties), and social status/prestige (including cultural capital considerations). Prior studies across contexts show that higher-SES and more educated parents prioritize quality and long-term academic mobility, while lower-SES parents weight proximity and affordability; networks and perceived prestige also shape choices. The review notes limited empirical work directly applying rational choice theory to school choice in Saudi Arabia, indicating a need for context-sensitive studies.

Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to elicit parents’ perspectives in depth. IRB approval obtained prior to data collection. Interview Protocol: Six main open-ended questions with probes based on prior literature; interviews ceased at thematic saturation. Data Collection: 14 Saudi parents (8 mothers, 6 fathers) with children enrolled in private schools (K–12). Sampling was purposive/convenience to include variation by marital status (11 married, 3 single), employment (11 employed, 2 unemployed), educational level (8 Bachelor’s, 5 Master’s, 4 Doctorate), and children’s stages (3 preschool, 8 primary, 2 intermediate, 6 secondary). Ten interviews were face-to-face and four by mobile phone. Interviews lasted 16–29 minutes (total 317 minutes) and were audio recorded. Language and Translation: Interviews conducted in Arabic; transcripts prepared and annotated in Arabic, with analysis initially in Arabic. Back-translation by a non-bilingual Arabic/English speaker used to check accuracy and reliability. Researcher Positionality: Researchers are education faculty in Saudi Arabia, many with children in private schools; reflexivity acknowledged regarding potential influence of values and context knowledge on interpretation. Data Analysis: Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019). Steps included transcription, repeated reading, inductive coding, categorization into main and subthemes by consensus, theme review and selection, and writing findings with direct quotations. Coding cycles followed Saldaña’s approach: (1) deductive coding aligned with research questions; (2) inductive coding for emergent themes; (3) verification of final themes. Trustworthiness: Credibility via triangulation of multiple researchers in collection and analysis; transferability via thick description; confirmability via peer debriefing, multiple coders, audit trails, and reflective review.

Four overarching themes shaped Saudi parents’ school choices: 1) Cultural identity vs. global competitiveness: - Strong preference for gender-segregated schooling aligned with cultural and religious norms; co-education was commonly rejected. - Language priorities split parents into two groups: some prioritized Arabic and Islamic studies (often at foundational/primary stages), while others prioritized English proficiency and international curricula for global opportunities (often at secondary stage). Some appreciated schools that supported both strong English and Arabic (e.g., Arabic reinforcement). 2) Accessibility: - Proximity, traffic, and transportation logistics were critical. Parents preferred neighborhood schools to reduce commute, avoid congestion, and handle emergencies. - Tuition fees were central in both initial selection and ongoing satisfaction; parents aimed to match schools to a defined budget, regardless of employer educational benefits. 3) Wellbeing: - Parents emphasized supportive, safe, and nurturing environments, valuing facilities, school ethos, and their children’s happiness and social relationships as indicators of quality. 4) Academic considerations: - Skills development: Several parents prioritized soft skills (personality, behavior, communication, extracurriculars) over hard skills, especially for younger children. - School staff and leadership: Principal’s leadership, responsive problem-solving, communication, and teacher quality/experience strongly influenced selection; some preferred female teachers for younger boys. - Learning outcomes: Parents assessed schools by observed student academic development and, for some, by performance on national standardized tests (ETEC’s General Aptitude Test and Academic Achievement Test). Many valued concrete learning outcomes over broad reputational rankings.

Findings indicate Saudi parents generally employ rational evaluation consistent with rational choice theory, weighing utility across cultural fit, accessibility, wellbeing, and academic outcomes within budget and information constraints. Cultural identity (gender segregation, Arabic/Islamic emphasis) reflects maximizing perceived cultural and moral utility, while English-medium preferences reflect strategic positioning for global competitiveness. Accessibility considerations (location, traffic, tuition) evidence cost–benefit calculations and constraints. Emphasis on wellbeing and school ethos indicates a holistic utility function that includes safety, happiness, facilities, and peer environment. Academic considerations reveal a nuanced focus: soft skills and extracurriculars for holistic development, strong leadership and teacher quality as process inputs, and tangible student outcomes (including national test performance) as outputs. The results extend existing literature by contextualizing rational choice processes in Saudi Arabia’s expanding private/international school market and by highlighting the dual language priorities and the centrality of gender segregation. They suggest that current accountability measures focused solely on standardized test results may omit valued parental criteria (e.g., wellbeing, leadership quality, soft skills).

The study contributes context-specific evidence that Saudi parents’ school choices are guided by rational evaluations balancing cultural identity, accessibility, wellbeing, and academic priorities. Parents seek to maximize their children’s educational utility by aligning school attributes—such as gender segregation, language of instruction, proximity, affordability, supportive environments, leadership and teacher quality, and demonstrable learning outcomes—with family values and long-term goals. These insights can inform policy and practice: - Broaden accountability and school quality frameworks beyond standardized test outcomes to include wellbeing, leadership, and soft-skill development indicators. - Provide transparent, multi-dimensional school information to support informed parental decision-making. - Consider policies that improve accessibility (e.g., transportation solutions, fee support) to enhance equitable choice. Future research should expand empirical applications of rational choice theory in Saudi contexts with larger, more diverse samples, mixed-methods designs, and longitudinal approaches to capture how preferences evolve across stages.

The study is qualitative with a small, purposive convenience sample of 14 Saudi parents with children in private schools, which limits generalizability. Data are self-reported and may be subject to recall or social desirability biases. Researcher positionality (education faculty with contextual proximity) could influence interpretation despite reflexive practices. Interviews were conducted in Arabic with subsequent translation and back-translation, introducing potential translation nuances despite verification steps.