Students’ Motivations in Selecting Schools
Jaka Fathin Ammar, Puspa Nova Agustine, Tresna Dwi Nurida, Dasim Budimansyah, Ade Gafar
Abdullah and Cep Ubad Abdullah
Sekolah Pascasarjana, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No.229 Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Selecting Schools, School Choice, Motivations, and School Information.
Abstract: Education is something that is very important for the progress of a nation, and Indonesia has no exception.
Higher education is needed to create educated human resources. Motivation is an important requirement in
selecting a good school. This study aims to describe the students’ motivations from the countryside in
selecting a college, as well as anything that affects them in selecting a college from their hometown.
Respondents are 50 graduated students from various courses at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. The data
were collected by using a questionnaire. Based on research based on statistical results, it is shown that the
Graduate Student Motivation of UPI is influenced by the quality of facilities and infrastructure, parents,
relatives, parents' educational background and occupational background.
1 INTRODUCTION
College is an option after graduating from high
school. Selection of schools are usually based on the
range, quality, and improving the fate. One of them is
the choice of the status of the country is at a particular
college. From time to time, distance to college has
become a less important aspect, while quality has
turned out to be a more important factor in the choice
of university (Long, 2004). Selection of a state school
is motivated by reasons of cost that is affordable. In
addition to a range of problems, school fees at state
schools are preferred and therefore contribute to the
prestige. Personal decision is a decision made
individual for themselves and their children, such as
whether they will follow the public school EDT
(Shuls, 2017)
According to previous studies, the option to send
students to private schools or public schools is based
on two main factors: school performance, particularly
on academic factors, and comfort factors that include
background, socio-economic background of parents,
and transportation (Yaacob, Osman, and Bachok,
2014; Yi and Chen, 2013).
Reputation (academic) of this institution is one of
the factors that ranked high in the US survey (eg, Kim
and Gasman, 2011; Maringe 2006; Pampaloni, 2010;
Teranishi et al., 2004; Tierney, 1983). Other quality
aspects like a good faculty and the quality of
programs in majors are also important (Clinton, 1990;
Hoyt and Brown, 2003; Maringe, 2006; Richards and
Holland, 1965). The curriculum is offered, especially
primary or availability of the program, for example,
for students who need to work (Hoyt and Brown,
2003), is very important as well (eg, Clinton, 1990;
Galotti and Mark, 1994; Kim and Gasman, 2011;
Maringe 2006; Moogan et al., 1999; Pampaloni,
2010).
Based on the results of preliminary observations
as much as 92% of the number of students in public
universities come from outside the city of Bandung.
This research has two main topics; first we will
describe about Students’ Motivations in school
selection and the second we will describe information
resources.
One of the most important ways in which parents
are involved in the education of their children is to
choose the school they attend (Goldring, and Phillips,
2008). In most parts of the world, the decision of
parents about their children's education is rather easy
(Siah, Ong, Tan, Sim, and Thoo, 2017). Parents of
children in the school of choice may be more satisfied
because these schools have an increased incentive to
meet the needs of their families (Chubb and Moe,
1988; Friedman and Friedman, 1990; Hoxby, 2003).
In addition, if a family can choose a school for their
children, there could be huge benefits associated with
532
Ammar, J., Agustine, P., Nurida, T., Budimansyah, D., Abdullah, A. and Abdullah, C.
Students’ Motivations in Selecting Schools.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 2, pages 532-535
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

improved fit between the interests of students and the
school's mission (DeAngelis and Holmes Erickson,
forthcoming 2018). School choice theory also
assumes that parents know their children and have a
greater interest for their welfare than others
(Friedman, 2002; Walberg, 2007). Parents play a role
in the school election in consideration of costs, such
as his case in China, the current school choice in
China is very dependent on family income and are
often beyond the ability of working class families to
participate in the competition an expensive school
choice (Wu, 2014).
According to previous studies, the option to send
them to private schools or public schools is based on
two main factors: a special school performance,
academic or comfort factor that includes socio-
economic background of parents, and transportation.
(Yaacob, Osman, and Bachok, 2014; Yi and Chen,
2013). While in Indonesia, the probability of the
tendency of parents to choose public schools than
private schools is influenced by the quality of
teachers, the cost and the school environment
(Septhevian, 2014). Another reason of the role of
parents in school choice is that they want this for their
children and to avoid a confrontation caused by the
denial of their son or daughter desire (Coldron, and
Boulton, 2014). In addition, possible reasons parents
to choose schools are based largely on individual
factors and short-term are very concerned about the
security of their children. (Couldron, and Boulton,
2014).
Parents’ opinion on school selection is part of the
motivation of a child in choosing a school, factors
such as school security, the attitude and competence
of teachers, the quality of the curriculum, teaching
methods, administrative leadership, the registration
of family and friends ahead of time, the physical
condition of the building, discipline standards, school
climate , class size, access, student characteristics,
religious training, the commitment of staff and
opportunities for extra-curricular sports and deals
also influence the choice of parents (Maddus, 1990).
2 METHODS
This study used quantitative methods. Research is
conducted Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI)
located in Bandung, Indonesia. In this case, the
research was held on Master’s Degree Students, or
well-known as School of Postgraduate Studies (SPS)
UPI, since they were considered to own knowledge
and understanding of motivation to learn. This study
aims to illustrate the motivation for the selection of
school.
Respondents of this study were 50 People with
gender identity of respondents were male as many as
21 people and 29 were female.
The data collection is done by using the enclosed
questionnaire. Researchers did not do any treatment
to the respondents, but only provides a questionnaire
that lists the questions listed in Table 1.
Table 1: Overview of research questions.
1. Motivation of Students in Selecting
Educational Institutions
2. Resources of Information about SPS – UPI
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In this section we present and discuss results of
research on student motivation outside the city of
Bandung in choosing a school. We describe maca-
wide student motivation outside Bandung in choosing
the university as a school of choice.
3.1 Student Motivation
In this section we explain the descriptive information
about the motivation of Foreign Students to choose
UPI.
Table 2: Students’ motivation to select UPI.
Motivation
SB
B
C
C
Quality of
Facilities and
Infrastructure
30%
58%
12%
0%
Lecturer Quality
26%
62%
10%
4%
The entry fee /
tuition
20%
42%
28%
10%
Distance
32%
40%
20%
8%
Parents
50%
30%
18%
4%
Relative
20%
52%
20%
8%
Friends /
Colleagues
16%
60%
18%
6%
Family educational
background
36%
38%
16%
12%
Parents’
Occupation
background
30 %
36%
18%
16%
Occupational
background
18%
48%
14%
20%
demands looking
for a partner
18%
22%
34%
26%
Students’ Motivations in Selecting Schools
533

Based on table 2, students’ motivated by their
parents as well as they motivated by the facilities’
quality.
3.2 UPI SPS Information
In this section we explain about the resources of
Graduate School of UPI.
Table 3: Information’s sources of SPS-UPI-SPS.
Information Sources UPI
Family
8%
Friends
22%
Place of Origin School of
38%
Mass Media
30%
Googling
8%
Based on Table 3 of the SPS-UPI resources as
much as 38% of respondents get the information from
the previous school while as many as 30% of
respondents get the information through the mass
media.
Table 3: Never/ Not looking for information of SPS UPI
before.
Never
No
74%
26%
The respondents’ reasons in search of information
about SPS UPI is to know the registration procedure.
In addition, another reason for checking the quality of
the Graduate School of UPI. The other reason is the
details of tuition, scholarship preparation and
accreditation of the university.
3.3 Discussion
One of the most important ways in which parents are
involved in the education of their children is to choose
schools they attend (Goldring, and Phillips, 2008).
School choice theory also assumes that parents know
their children and have a greater interest for their
welfare than others (Friedman, 2002; Walberg, 2007).
Therefore, based on the answers of respondents as
many as 50% of students entering graduate school
UPI affected by the Parents.
While in Indonesia, the probability of the
tendency of parents to choose public schools than
private schools is influenced by the quality of
teachers, the cost and the school environment
(Septhevian, 2014). This is according to the answers
of respondents, 52% responded that the quality of
infrastructure affects the choice of the school they
chosen. While as many as 62% of respondents are
influenced by the quality of lecturers in schools.
Parents play a role in the school choice in
consideration of costs, such as the case in China, the
current school choice in China is very dependent on
family income and are often beyond the ability of
working class families to participate in the
competition of an expensive school choice (Wu,
2014). The opinion is in line with the respondent's
answer regarding entrance fees and tuition that is as
much as 42%.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the statistical results, it is shown that the
Graduated Students’ Motivation in UPI is influenced
by the quality of facilities and infrastructure, parents,
relatives, parents' educational background and
occupational background. While the information
about the Post Graduate School has the highest
percentage deriving from previous lectures and Mass
Media.
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