Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in education. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping education
Schools, universities, edtech companies and education programmes need evidence from students, parents and teachers, and marketing that reaches families at the right time.
- Parents research schools and courses online
- Edtech usage depends on teacher and parent support
- Programmes must show learning outcomes
Client background
A K-12 school group, working in Bengaluru & Hyderabad. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A K-12 school group
- Sector
- Education
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Quantitative research, Qualitative research
Client challenge
The group's new schools filled slowly, and it wanted to understand what parents compared before deciding.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: how parents choose a school.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of parents.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 5 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 1,200 parents.
- parents1,200
Audiences we typically reach in education
StudentsParentsTeachers and principalsEdtech usersEmployers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Bengaluru & Hyderabad. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Parent survey
- 3Group discussions
- 4Insight
We surveyed parents of young children and held discussions on fees, safety, teaching quality and distance.
Quantitative researchQualitative research
Sampling strategy
- parents
- 1,200
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Teacher quality and transport safety mattered more than facilities.
Parents buy trust in people more than buildings.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: parents buy trust in people more than buildings.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: teacher quality and transport safety mattered more than facilities.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The group highlighted teacher profiles and bus tracking in admissions.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: did the programme improve learning?