Abstract:
The purposes of this research were to examine the process and factors affecting the students choice of schools in Phuket after finishing Mathayom three (grade 10), and to propose the guidelines for the educational institutions in Phuket to improve their marketing strategies to attract new students. The sample of subjects consisted of 372 students who were studying in Mathayom three. Questionnaires were used to collect the data for this study. The data was then analyzed by using an SPSS program and the results shown as frequency, percentages, means, and Chi-Square. The results of the analysis were as follows: Most respondents were girls, and aged 14-15 years. Their grade point average was found to be 3.00. Regarding their family background, the sample group came from a family with 2-4 members. Most parents worked as employees in private businesses, and their average income was from 10,000 -15,000 baht per month. The average educational level of the students parents was found to be lower than high school. In terms of the students decision to continue their education, it was found that the students education was supported by their parents. Most children considered education to be very important because it could make their life secure and better. They obtained the information about the schools from friends and relatives, and took the parents advice to make a decision. The most popular school was found to be Phuket Wittayalai School. Most students chose to study in the normal program majoring in science and mathematics. They made a decision about the program based on the advice from the teachers. After finishing from Mathayom six, most students preferred to study in the Business Administration Program at universities, and worked for the government and private enterprises. Regarding the factors affecting the students decision to continue their studies, it was found as follows: economic factor: the students needed the scholarships from the government; technology factor: the students preferred the schools with sufficient teaching equipment and resources; political factor: the students appreciated the 15 year free education policy of the government; social and cultural factors: the students needed to finish education and to be able to work in the future. Regarding the marketing mix factors affecting the students decision to continue their studies, it was found as follows: product factor; the students preferred the high quality schools with a transparency policy; price factor: the students preferred to pay the tuition fees from 5,001-7,000 baht per year; location and channel factor: the school should be located in the convenient location with a good system of infrastructure; promotion factor: the schools should provide their information to the public via the internet; personnel factor: the school administrators, the teachers, and other personnel should be effective; physical factor: the students need a clean classroom and environment; process factor: the students preferred to sit for an entrance exam and interview to be admitted to new schools.
Suggestions proposed by the researcher for improving the information channels of the schools in Phuket were as follows: economic factor: the schools should provide sufficient scholarships to assist the students; technology factor: the schools should provide sufficient teaching equipment for the teachers to use in their teaching; product factor: the schools should offer various programs suitable for the needs of the students; price factor: the tuition fee should be ranged from 5,001-7,000 baht per year; location and channel factors: the school should be located in a convenient location with a good system of infrastructure; promotion factor: the schools should provide their information to the public via the internet; personnel factor: the school administrators, the teachers, and other personnel should be effective; physical factor: the school should offer clean and spacious classrooms in a good environment.