Parents’ attitudes about motives for enrolling children in preschool institutions and early learning programs

Abstract

Based on the most important theoretical and empirical evidence on the importance and benefits of including children in preschool institutions, we conducted a survey on a sample of 334 parents in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) whose children attended a preparatory program in the year before entering school in 2024, with the aim of determining their attitudes about motives for enrolling children in early learning programs. Factor analysis determined that one dominant factor explains 91.26% of the total variance of parental motives for enrolling children in preschool institutions. This research has important implications for educational policymakers and practitioners because the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a country in transition in the Western Balkans.