[Independent Survey] Key Factors Parents Prioritize When Choosing Private Tutoring Schools

Ishin no Kai, which provides private tutoring specializing in medical school entrance exams, conducted an independent survey targeting parents of high school students and graduates aiming for medical school on 'key factors parents prioritize when choosing a private tutoring school.' The survey, which targeted parents comparing various tutoring schools, revealed that the key factors are concentrated into four areas: 'teaching quality,' 'fees,' 'self-study environment,' and 'Q&A support.' It is clear that there is growing interest in the overall learning environment, including whether the student can 'continue with peace of mind' and 'learn proactively,' rather than just 'whether grades can be improved.' In the survey, many parents prioritized 'quality of instructors,' tending to value teaching ability—such as 'whether they can explain according to the student's level of understanding' and 'whether they can concretely manage study plans'—more than simply being a graduate of a famous university. This is driven by the parents' desire to prevent students from leaving weak areas unaddressed or falling into poor study habits. The survey results show that when choosing a private tutoring school, parents tend to value not only 'whether grades can be improved' but also an environment where learning can be continued with peace of mind and a support system tailored to each individual child. It is evident that the roles expected of tutoring schools are diversifying amidst concerns about entrance exams and challenges with study habits. Many parents also compare multiple schools and services, revealing a reality where they make comprehensive judgments based on various perspectives such as teaching content, support systems, and ease of commuting. In this survey, 78% of parents cited 'teaching quality' as a key factor in choosing a private tutoring school, the highest result. In particular, there is a tendency to value actual teaching and responsiveness—such as 'whether they can explain according to the child's level of understanding' and 'whether they can carefully follow up on weak areas'—rather than just the instructor's academic background or fame. There were also many voices emphasizing interactions outside of class, such as management of study plans and support for maintaining motivation, indicating that parents are seeking 'practical guidance that leads to grade improvement.' Especially for high-difficulty exams like medical school entrance exams, compatibility with the instructor and a continuous follow-up system seem to be important criteria for choosing a school. In comparing private tutoring schools, parents' responses concentrated on the four items of 'teaching quality,' 'fees,' 'self-study environment,' and 'Q&A support.' All showed high response rates, indicating they are major decision-making axes for choosing a school. In particular, 'teaching quality' is evaluated in terms of clarity and compatibility, 'fees' in terms of clarity of total cost and cost-effectiveness, 'self-study environment' in terms of ease of study, and 'Q&A support' in terms of a system where questions can be resolved immediately, showing a tendency to compare by combining multiple conditions rather than a single element. When choosing a private tutoring school, parents do not judge solely by low fees, but prioritize whether an environment is in place where the child can continue learning without strain. In particular, elements that support daily learning, such as the quality of instructor guidance, ease of asking questions, and the quality of the self-study environment, are important comparison points. Also, the clarity of the total cost, including tuition, course fees, and material fees, as well as the quality of the support system, are subject to evaluation, and there is a tendency to make comprehensive judgments based on both cost and learning environment. From this, it can be inferred that parents are choosing schools by prioritizing 'whether they can continue to learn' rather than 'cheapness.' In choosing a private tutoring school, it is necessary to comprehensively compare multiple perspectives, including compatibility with the instructor and clarity of guidance, as well as the reasonableness of costs and ease of commuting. It is not something that can be judged by just one element, and it is required to carefully assess each condition in a balanced manner. In addition, elements that support daily learning, such as the ease of asking questions outside of class and the maintenance of the self-study environment, are also important judgment materials, and the items for consideration are diverse. Thus, it can be seen that parents are comparing schools multi-dimensionally, including not only learning effects but also the continuity of attending school. With the burden of educational expenses for extracurricular activities such as lessons and exam preparation increasing, parents are taking a more cautious stance toward choosing a tutoring school. In particular, how much the total amount, including not only monthly tuition but also course fees and material fees, can be grasped in advance is an important point for comparison. In addition, interest is gathering on what kind of guidance and support can be received for the fees paid, and cases of judging while looking at the balance with the content rather than simple price highs and lows are increasing. As a result, the flow of making a choice with a sense of conviction after confirming both the clarity of the fee aspect and the cost-effectiveness has become common. At the stage of considering a school, parents are specifically confirming multiple perspectives from the time of inquiry or free trial. In addition to the instructor's teaching method and compatibility with the child, cases of carefully confirming details of the cost aspect, such as the clarity of the fee structure and the presence or absence of additional fees, are noticeable. Furthermore, confirmation assuming the situation after actually attending school, such as how classes are conducted, study follow-up systems, ease of asking questions, and ease of using the self-study environment, is also being carried out. It is a feature that they are making judgments in a way that minimizes the gap after entering the school while comparing these points comprehensively. In this survey, 78% of parents responded that they prioritize 'the instructor's teaching method' and 'compatibility with the child' when choosing a private tutoring school. In particular, whether they can explain clearly and whether they can adjust the teaching content according to the student's level of understanding are considered important. Also, it is understood that whether they can provide continuous support while being close to the child's learning situation is a major criterion for choosing a school, rather than just being an instructor with high academic ability. When parents evaluate instructors, they value not only their background such as academic history and passing records, but also whether the actual teaching is easy for the child to understand. In particular, whether they can break down difficult content and whether they can resolve doubts on the spot are important judgment materials. Also, attention is paid to whether there is good compatibility with the child while interacting continuously, not just a one-time impression, and whether a relationship where they can continue learning with peace of mind can be built is a point of evaluation. Thus, in choosing an instructor, there is a tendency to value daily teaching quality and compatibility over achievements. In private tutoring schools, the role of the instructor is not limited to just teaching knowledge, but is captured as an element directly related to the student's level of understanding and motivation for learning. Daily interactions such as clarity of explanation and ease of asking questions often affect the retention of learning content. Furthermore, when there is good compatibility with the instructor, positive feelings toward learning are easily maintained, leading to continuous attendance, while when there is no compatibility, it may lead to a decline in motivation or stagnation in learning. Thus, teaching ability can be organized as an important element that influences not only teaching techniques but also the continuity and motivation of learning. In this survey, 65% of parents responded that they prioritize cost aspects such as 'tuition,' 'course fees,' and 'material fees' when choosing a private tutoring school. In particular, there is a tendency to compare while being conscious of the total annual cost, including seasonal courses and additional classes, not just the monthly tuition amount. Also, there are many voices that value cost-effectiveness—what kind of guidance and support can be received for the fees paid—rather than the cheapness of the fee itself, and the reality of carefully judging while looking at the balance with educational content can be seen. In this survey, it was found that when parents judge fees, they prioritize the annual total, including course fees and material fees, rather than comparing only by the cheapness of monthly tuition. In particular, whether it is known in advance how much additional cost will occur is an important point in choosing a school. Also, the clarity of the fee structure and the ease of predicting how much the final cost will be are also valued, and there is a tendency for whether they can pay with a sense of conviction to be the criterion for judgment rather than the amount itself. When parents consider a school, the clarity of fees greatly influences their judgment. Whether the total amount, including monthly tuition, course fees, and material fees, is clearly shown in advance is the dividing line for whether they can proceed with consideration with peace of mind. On the other hand, when the breakdown of expenses is opaque, concerns about additional expenses are likely to arise, and there is a tendency to be cautious until deciding to enter the school. Thus, fee transparency is an important element that reduces parents' anxiety and supports choices made with a sense of conviction, rather than just price information. In this survey, 62% of parents responded that they prioritize self-study environments such as 'presence of self-study seats,' 'available hours,' and 'learning environment where they can concentrate' when choosing a private tutoring school. In particular, how effectively they can use time other than class time is attracting attention as a judgment material for choosing a school. Also, whether the self-study room can be used at all times and whether an environment where they can concentrate quietly is in place are also valued, and it is understood that it is expected to play a role as a learning base that complements home study. In choosing a private tutoring school, not only guidance during class time but also how they can learn during other times is an important comparison point. In particular, whether there is a self-study room, available hours, and whether an environment where they can concentrate quietly is in place are gathering parents' interest. Also, whether the school can be used as a place to complement home study is also valued, and whether there is a mechanism to maintain study habits even outside of class is a judgment material. Thus, the school is evaluated as an entity that supports the entire daily learning environment, not just 'a place to take classes.' The presence or absence of a self-study room is not just a difference in equipment, but is captured as a mechanism to stabilize daily learning rhythms. By having an environment where they can study at a fixed time, it becomes easier to maintain habits that are easily broken by home study alone. Furthermore, whether a space where it is easy to concentrate is in place also affects the level of understanding and retention of learning content. Since the quality of learning itself is swayed by the school's operation and environmental design, the self-study room is treated as an important element that supports continuous learning, not just 'a place.' In this survey, 58% of parents responded that they prioritize 'an environment where it is easy to ask questions regardless of whether it is during or outside of class' when choosing a private tutoring school. In particular, whether they can resolve points they don't understand on the spot and whether a system where they can ask questions easily even outside of class is in place are important judgment criteria. Also, the speed and politeness of responses to questions are also attracting attention as elements that prevent stumbling in learning, and are evaluated as points directly linked to creating an environment where they can continue learning with peace of mind. In private tutoring schools, the ease of asking questions and the generosity of learning follow-up are important judgment materials for parents. By having an environment where they can consult about doubts not only during class but also outside of class, it becomes easier to reduce 'anxiety about proceeding without understanding.' Also, whether they can respond politely to consultations from parents, not just the student themselves, is also valued, and interest in a system where they can share learning situations and issues is also increasing. The enrichment of such a support system is one of the elements that allows them to continue attending school with peace of mind. There are differences in the points required for private tutoring schools depending on the grade level. For elementary school students, there is a tendency to value compatibility with the instructor and easy-to-understand guidance from the perspective of establishing study habits and reinforcing basic academic ability. When they become junior high school students, the importance of regular test measures and school record measures increases, and conditions that are easy to attend continuously, such as the balance of fees and the ease of using the self-study environment, are compared. Furthermore, for high school students, guidance content aiming at university entrance exams becomes the center, and interest in support aspects such as the quality of exam measures and the enrichment of Q&A support becomes stronger. Thus, it is a feature that the items valued change as the grade level goes up, and school selection according to the purpose is being carried out. The comparison points that parents prioritize differ greatly depending on the purpose of attending the school. In the case of exam measures, elements directly linked to results, such as the instructor's teaching ability and the enrichment of Q&A support, are valued in addition to passing records and the expertise of guidance. On the other hand, for regular test measures, study management leading to school records and the ability to respond to school content are valued, and the balance with fees and ease of commuting also become judgment materials. Also, when the purpose is to establish study habits, mechanisms that allow learning to be continued daily, such as the maintenance of the self-study environment and compatibility with the instructor, tend to be compared. Thus, it is a feature that the evaluation axis changes depending on the role expected of the school.