Developing a self-funding model for private schools in Jordan

Middle East University, Jordan

^* Corresponding author: atabieh@meu.edu.jo

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the sources of self-financing in private Jordanian schools from the perspective of shareholders, the challenges that limit the increase and diversification of self-financing sources, and the actual procedural steps that school principals need to take to increase and diversify these sources in private schools. The researcher used the mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) as the general method for the study. To achieve the objectives of the study, two instruments were used to collect data. The first was a one-on-one semi-structured interview with school shareholders to explore the sources of self-financing of private schools, and the second was a five-scale questionnaire that included two axes. The first axis refers to the actual procedural steps taken by private school principals to increase and diversify sources of self-financing. The second axis was intended to capture the challenges faced by principals of these schools that limit their ability to increase and diversify these resources. The validity and reliability of the study instruments were tested. The study sample included (50) shareholders and (250) school principals in the capital city of Amman.The results of the study showed that from the shareholders’ perspective, school fees ranked first in relative importance as a source of self-financing for private schools and that the best executive measure that would lead to increased self-financing is the “Providing additional paid academic services for students (notes, question banks, photocopying, etc).” The results also showed that the biggest challenge that would limit self-financing is the “Limited purchasing power of local community members in light of emergency crises such as the Corona pandemic.” The findings also showed that school principals believe that expanding executive procedures to diversify resources would reduce the challenges they might face. The study recommended the development of a strategic plan to diversify the self-financing sources of private schools in Jordan to reduce their dependence on student fee as basic funding, as well as the development of an appropriate procedural guide to assist school principals in implementing the strategic plan.