A Quantitative Study of Perceived Factors That Influence Enrollment Within a Regional Conference Seventh-day Adventist School System
type: CreativeWork
description: Problem A significant challenge confronting Seventh-day Adventist schools is declining enrollment, with schools in the North America Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church either closing or experiencing a substantial reduction in enrollment over the years. The purpose of this study is to identify the perceived factors influencing enrollment within the Allegheny East Conference school system, ultimately explaining the enrollment shift from 1277 students to 635 students over a twenty-year period within the Allegheny East Conference school system. The study also determined if there are significant differences in perceptions of the importance of these observed enrollment-related factors among participants who hold leadership positions (principals, superintendents, board members, and pastors), individuals who work under leaders (teachers), and ‘consumers’ of Allegheny East Conference educational services (parents and alumni). Additionally, this study examined any differences in perceptions of these factors among participants based on their year(s) of affiliation with the Allegheny East Conference school system. Method The research design selected for this study is a quantitative approach. A quantitative approach investigates a social phenomenon, utilizing numerical and statistical data. This research method analyzes the data to identify relationships and trends (Watson, 2015). To conduct this quantitative study, a survey questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The survey questions were used to identify which of the presented factors, based on the participants’ perceptions, were responsible for the decline in enrollment in the Allegheny East Conference school system. The factors the participants could choose from were leadership, curriculum, educational cost, lack of diversity, other school alternatives (private, charter, and public school), facility, lack of resources, teachers, lack of church support, not a priority, and others. Participants rated each …
abstract: Problem A significant challenge confronting Seventh-day Adventist schools is declining enrollment, with schools in the North America Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church either closing or experiencing a substantial reduction in enrollment over the years. The purpose of this study is to identify the perceived factors influencing enrollment within the Allegheny East Conference school system, ultimately explaining the enrollment shift from 1277 students to 635 students over a twenty-year period within the Allegheny East Conference school system. The study also determined if there are significant differences in perceptions of the importance of these observed enrollment-related factors among participants who hold leadership positions (principals, superintendents, board members, and pastors), individuals who work under leaders (teachers), and ‘consumers’ of Allegheny East Conference educational services (parents and alumni). Additionally, this study examined any differences in perceptions of these factors among participants based on their year(s) of affiliation with the Allegheny East Conference school system. Method The research design selected for this study is a quantitative approach. A quantitative approach investigates a social phenomenon, utilizing numerical and statistical data. This research method analyzes the data to identify relationships and trends (Watson, 2015). To conduct this quantitative study, a survey questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The survey questions were used to identify which of the presented factors, based on the participants’ perceptions, were responsible for the decline in enrollment in the Allegheny East Conference school system. The factors the participants could choose from were leadership, curriculum, educational cost, lack of diversity, other school alternatives (private, charter, and public school), facility, lack of resources, teachers, lack of church support, not a priority, and others. Participants rated each …
author: Alberty, John Calvin, Jr.
keywords: Enrollment, Seventh-day Adventists, Allegheny, Schools
date published: 2024-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:54:19Z
provider: Andrews University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Andrews University