PONTIANAK — School image and educational facilities have a positive and significant influence on parents’ decisions to enroll their children at MIS Al-Ikhwah in Pontianak City. The finding comes from research by Rilham Fitroh Wisesha, Muhammad Ebuziyya Alif Ramadhan, and Eru Ahmadia from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Pontianak, published in 2026. The study found that stronger school image and better facilities are associated with a greater likelihood that parents will choose MIS Al-Ikhwah for their children.
The finding is particularly relevant as families have increasingly diverse options when selecting elementary education institutions. The article notes that Pontianak City had 31 madrasah ibtidaiyah institutions in 2026, consisting of 28 private and three public institutions. This competitive environment means schools need to build parental trust not only through educational services but also through a positive reputation and a learning environment that supports students’ needs.
MIS Al-Ikhwah is a private madrasah ibtidaiyah located on Jalan Pangeran Natakusuma Gang Sama Rukun, Pontianak Kota District. Established in 1970, the school received an A accreditation based on an accreditation decree issued on July 22, 2024. Its educational programs include general subjects such as Mathematics, Indonesian Language, and Natural Sciences, as well as religious subjects including Qur’an, Fiqh, and Aqidah Akhlak. The school also provides Qur’an reading, congregational prayer, scouting, hadrah, tahfidz, arts, and sports activities.
School records show changes in the number of applicants over the past three academic years. In 2023/2024, MIS Al-Ikhwah recorded 63 applicants and admitted 60 students. In 2024/2025, the number fell to 57 applicants and 54 admitted students. The figure increased again in 2025/2026, when 60 applicants were recorded and 58 students were admitted. Student transfer figures also changed, with seven outgoing students recorded in 2025/2026. Tuition income from active students declined from IDR 62.475 million in 2023/2024 to IDR 59.85 million in 2025/2026.
The researchers examined school image and facilities as factors that may shape parents’ school choices. School image refers to the impression formed in the minds of parents, students, and the wider community about a school’s overall quality. It includes the school’s personality, reputation, values, and visual identity. School facilities refer to the physical and supporting elements that help deliver educational services, including equipment, furniture, room design, and other resources used in learning activities.
The study involved 101 parents of MIS Al-Ikhwah students. The researchers collected primary data through questionnaires and supporting information from school documents, including student, admission, transfer, financial, and facility records. The respondents represented students from Grades I to VI and were selected proportionally across grade levels. The collected data were then analyzed using multiple linear regression to determine how school image and facilities were related to parents’ decisions.
The analysis found that school image had a positive and significant effect on parents’ decisions. The regression coefficient was 0.321, with a significance value of 0.001. This means that stronger perceptions of the school are associated with a greater tendency among parents to choose MIS Al-Ikhwah. The researchers explain that reputation, trust, and positive public perceptions are important elements that can influence parents when selecting an educational institution.
School facilities also had a positive and significant effect on parents’ decisions. The regression coefficient was 0.225, with a significance value of 0.000. The finding indicates that improvements in facilities are associated with stronger parental decisions to select the school. Adequate facilities can contribute to students’ comfort, support smoother learning activities, and provide a better environment for educational programs.
When analyzed together, school image and school facilities had a significant positive effect on parents’ decisions. The F-test produced a value of 21.555 with a significance value of 0.000, confirming the combined effect of both factors. The correlation coefficient was 0.553, indicating a moderate relationship. Meanwhile, the R² value of 0.306 shows that school image and facilities explained 30.6 percent of the variation in parents’ decisions. The remaining 69.4 percent was associated with other factors outside the research model.
For school management, the findings highlight the importance of strengthening institutional reputation while maintaining adequate educational facilities. The researchers recommend that MIS Al-Ikhwah regularly communicate verified information about student achievements, teacher qualifications, learning activities, religious programs, and school accomplishments through its website and social media platforms. The school is also encouraged to conduct periodic facility assessments covering classrooms, sanitation, worship facilities, libraries, learning equipment, playgrounds, security systems, and accessibility.
The researchers further suggest that schools provide prospective parents with opportunities to directly experience the learning environment through open houses, school tours, trial classes, and parent information sessions. Transparent communication about tuition fees, registration costs, scholarships, and payment schemes can also help parents make informed decisions. However, tuition affordability was not included as a variable in this study, so its influence requires further research.
More broadly, the findings show that parents’ decisions when choosing a school are influenced by both intangible and tangible factors. Reputation and trust can shape perceptions of an institution, while facilities provide parents with visible evidence of the school’s learning environment. However, because 69.4 percent of the variation in parents’ decisions remains unexplained by the two factors studied, future research could examine education quality, tuition costs, school location, teacher quality, promotion, curriculum, service quality, and religious values.
Authors’ Profiles
Research Source
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsmr.v4i8.130
Journal Link: https://journalijsmr.my.id/index.php/ijsmr
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