QUANTITATIVE CRITIQUE 1
Research Critique 2: Quantitative
Anna Laura Ruiz
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Correspondence concerning this article
should be addressed to Anna Laura Ruiz
Email:
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH 2
Research Critique: Quantitative
This review aims to assess the research conducted by Rohde et al. (2019) titled " Parental
Reasons for School Choice in Elementary School: A Systematic Review. “The review will
include an overview, summary, and critique of the research study. The final paragraph examines
my professional background, views, and perspectives concerning the subject matter of the study.
Summary
Purpose
The main goal of the study by Rohde et al. (2023) is to present a comprehensive
quantitative analysis of the factors influencing parental decision-making in the selection of
primary schools for their children on a global scale. Furthermore, the researchers provide the
data for developing an instrument to evaluate parental motivations behind selecting an
elementary school.
Participants/Sample
A librarian with expertise in systematic reviews conducted a comprehensive search across
several electronic databases, including ERIC (ProQuest), Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, SciELO,
Sociological Abstracts, and PubMed, covering the period from the foundation of each database
up to December 18th, 2017. In order to enhance the comprehensiveness of the research, manual
searches were conducted on the reference lists of the papers chosen for full-text analysis, in
addition to electronic searches. The eligibility criteria for the studies chosen by the researchers
required the inclusion of quantitative cross-sectional studies that relied on either parent's or
caregivers' stated reasons for school choice or actual/revealed school choice. The studies needed
a minimum of 30 subjects, including children in elementary school or an equivalent level,
depending on the country (e.g., primary, and junior school). The final studies selected included
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twenty-six studies published between 1998 and 2017. Samples were taken from 14 nations on six
continents.
Research Design
The study used a cross-sectional study design which, according to Check and Schutt
(2012), is a “study in which data [is] collected at only one point in time." The primary goal was
to comprehensively analyze the quantitative global literature on the justifications parents and
other caregivers gave for their elementary school children's school choice by MOOSE principles
(Stroup et al., 2000). The first hypothesis was to predict that parents would cite concerns about
academic quality as the most crucial consideration when choosing an elementary school
throughout the globe. The second prediction was that samples from low-middle-income nations
and those with an overrepresentation of low-income households would exhibit more pronounced
logistic variables.
Method of Data Collection
Two writers carried out the data extraction process separately and unbiasedly. Both
authors utilized a pre-established standardized form for this purpose. The researchers collected
data on various variables, including authors, year of publication, country of the study, sample
size, age/grade range, sampling procedures (including response rate), study type (which included
a list of stated reasons, factors derived by factor analyses and composed of stated reasons, and
actual behavior), instrument used for collecting parent school choice reasons (including data on
reliability and validity of the instruments). After obtaining the pre-final list of included research,
we searched electronic databases to identify papers that mentioned these studies until August
20th, 2018—the additional search aimed to identify any possible studies not initially captured in
the first electronic search.
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Method of Statistical Analysis
Initially, the researchers intended to meta-analysis parental motives for school choice, but
the literature's data was highly heterogeneous. Using simple descriptive statistics, data was
combined and presented in tables that included the following information: the frequency with
which reasons were cited, the frequency in which they were ranked as the top 3, and the median
position within the articles that evaluated the reason. The median rank was determined when two
or more variables had the same rank. Only the component with the highest rank was computed
when multiple factors seemed to assess the same construct (e.g., recommendation vs.
recommendation from other parents). Researchers did not calculate non-choice grounds (no
alternative option in the community).
Results
The results revealed that the United States was the nation that contributed the most
studies. Three studies examined the factors influencing students' decisions to attend public,
private, or magnet schools and non-integrated and non-magnet schools. The primary cause of
exclusion was the 63.4% absence of information on the parent's school preference. Of the
publications that were chosen by the search of electronic databases, the researchers only failed to
locate five (1.7%) of them. Out of the 26 studies considered, only one offered a comparison
between the respondents and the non-respondents or assessed potential selection bias by
comparing the sociodemographic features of the included individuals with the population.
Furthermore, just 31% of the studies examined the validity or reliability of the tools used
to gather information on the reasons parents gave for selecting a particular school. The three
reasons that have been often identified as the primary factors, based on research evaluating the
rationales, include school academic excellence (said seven times), teacher quality (mentioned
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four times), and school reputation (mentioned four times). The school's academic excellence
emerged as the most cited cause in several global studies. The factors commonly cited are
localization, pricing, reputation/recommendation of the school, instructor quality, discipline, and
class size. When examining the impact of a country's financial level, there is a shift observed in
the factors influencing educational decisions. In high-income countries, the focus tends to be
primarily on academic quality, but in low-income nations, logistical considerations such as safety
and discipline also come into play. To conclude, academic quality is the most common
justification in research conducted worldwide regarding parental school choice.
Critical Analysis
Further Research
Future research needs to expand further than the studies Rohde et al. (2019) found since
the researchers only considered parental motivations for selecting an elementary school.
Therefore, conclusions cannot be applied to subsequent academic years. It is crucial to
acknowledge that prior research has indicated that the factors influencing school choice vary
throughout one's life. While parents of infants and toddlers tend to prioritize the aspect of
"caregiver warmth" and family-based care, parents of elementary school children place greater
importance on formal approaches as a means of preparing for school. On the other hand, parents
of high school students are more concerned about factors associated with college admissions.
Threat to Validity
Factors that influenced the study highlighted only a small number of publications that
included clear and specific descriptions for the factors evaluated, including essential criteria like
academic excellence. Most of the research only provided a compilation of rationales for parents
to prioritize school choice. Furthermore, most of the research just provided a description of the
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variable without indicating the specific direction of its impact. However, they failed to
acknowledge that the same underlying factor, such as the school's religious affiliation, may
influence parents' school choices differently.
Original Insight/Criticism
If a thorough literature review had been conducted, data would have included the father’s
perspective and a comparison of both father and mother to analyze a holistic perspective, values,
and beliefs of household factors that influence school choice. Rohde et al. (2019) focused on
combining parental preferences into "aggregate variables," quantitative approaches ignore
parents' personal histories and their class, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. The so-called criteria
for choice, such as academic quality, school climate, and discipline, are treated as tangible,
measurable objects, losing their broader social context.
Implications of Findings
This research can be used to educate parents on the different views and perspectives other
parents stand by regarding school choice. It is crucial to analyze how the study offered a
comprehensive summary of the factors parents use to choose primary schools for their kids
worldwide. Current educational stakeholders should consider further research on factors
influencing school choice to provide a more thorough grasp of the reasons and challenges parents
undertake as one of their most significant life decisions. Research can be severely impacted by
program stakeholders' identity and involvement (Check & Schutt, 2012).
Discussion
I am continuing to investigate early childhood motives for a better curriculum in the
United States, including parental school choice and factors that can aggravate the educational
system. In order to understand the needs of our children, parental choices must not be ignored,
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along with their reasons, as we, educational advocates, continue to strive for curriculum equality
in early childhood. Psalm 82 3:4 reminds us, "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the
cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand
of the wicked” (English Standard Version, 2001). Knowing that advocacy will pay its dues in
heaven should be in the minds and hearts of every educator.
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References
Check, J., & Schutt, R. (2012). Research in education. SAGE Publications, Inc.
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781544307725
English Standard Version. (2001). ESV Online.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/
Rohde, L. A., Campani, F., Oliveira, J. R. G., Rohde, C. W., Rocha, T., & Ramal, A. (2019).
Parental reasons for school choice in elementary school: A systematic review. Journal of
School Choice, 13(3), 287–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2019.1643970
Stroup, D. F., Berlin, J. A., Morton, S. C., Olkin, I., Williamson, G. D., Rennie, D., …
Thacker, S. B. (2000). Meta-analysis of epidemiological observational studies: A
proposal for reporting. JAMA, 283, 2008–2012. https://doi:10.1001/jama.283.15.2008
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