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

Volume 16, Issue 1 (2026)

Parents’ attitudes about motives for enrolling children in preschool institutions and early learning programs
Marica Travar, Nebojša Mitrović, Slađana Miljenović, Nataša Cvijanović, Neda Gavrić, Ranko Rajović
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.
Keywords: 
Preschool children, Parents, Early Learning, Preschool Institutions
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References: 
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