Abstract
This thesis analyses the perspectives and motivations of local middle-class parents in Hong Kong who move their children from the local mainstream to international schooling. This original study presents an in-depth, idiographic exploration of the lived experience of educational decision-making. It offers insights into how seven middle-class local parents perceive the phenomenon of moving their children from local to Elite Traditional International Schools (ETIS).The study’s setting is Hong Kong, focusing on Elite Traditional International Schools (ETIS). ETIS are identified by their institutional maturity, delivery of an international curriculum, high fees, and strong demand for places. Adopting a qualitative, constructionist epistemology, the research aims to answer four questions: the contexts behind parents’ decisions, their perception of school choices, their strategies to support children during the transition, and the development of a contextual typology of international schools from parents’ perspectives.
Participant data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to develop three group experiential themes (GET): ‘being local,’ reflecting struggles with the local system; ‘transition,’ describing the shift to international schools; and ‘many windows, new doors open,’ envisioning the future.
The study’s findings show that the parents act as ‘pragmatic strategists’, making the most of the local system’s benefits whilst simultaneously preparing to move schools. They are influenced by deep attachment to cultural heritage and there is a tension between experiential and existential facets of activating the move. Varied acts of concerted cultivation are used to support children post-transition, such as tutoring. Using the metaphor of a ‘viewfinder,’ parents look at the landscape of international schools in Hong Kong and move between a current and future focus. The research proposes a typology for international schools which is tiered and dynamic based on perception of school quality gained from varied sources of knowledge.
The study extends the application of IPA to educational research, offering authentic insights into local parents’ reflections on educational strategy and the transition from local to international systems. It provides a nuanced and updated analysis of educational strategy for those interested in parental choice, international schools, and Hong Kong.
| Date of Award | 25 Mar 2026 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Tristan Bunnell (Supervisor) & Michael Fertig (Supervisor) |
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