STUDYING FAMILY-EMBEDDED ENROLLMENT DECISIONS: METHODOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS FROM PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH

Abstract

Research on university enrollment decisions have always relied heavily on survey-based and quantitative approaches which has modeled student choice as an individual and rational like process. While these mentioned methods can provide valuable insights into general patterns of the university choice decisions, yet they often struggle to capture the socially embedded nature and aspect of decision-making processes in a family-oriented context and backgrounds. This article reflects on the methodological implications of studying enrollment decisions in private higher education systems in Tashkent where families play a non-ignorable and active role. Drawing on mixed-methods doctoral research which was conducted among students enrolled in private universities and students in the last year of their schooling in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the paper examined how combining quantitative and qualitative approaches enables a more accurate representation of family involvement in the decision-making process, perceived value construction, and legitimacy assessment of the private institutions. Rather than just presenting new empirical findings, the article focused on methodological lessons related to the data design, interpretation, and contextual sensitivity of the matter. The paper argues that mixed-methods research offers advantages for studying enrollment decisions in collectivist and transitional higher education systems and will provides guidance for future research in similar contexts.