Parental Psychographics, Perceived Value, and Brand Prestige as Determinants of Student Loyalty in Private Primary-Secondary Schools in Makassar

Abstract

The increasing competition among private schools in Indonesia has created new challenges in attracting and maintaining parental loyalty. Understanding how parents’ psychological characteristics shape their perceptions and loyalty behavior is therefore essential for sustainable educational management. This study aims to examine the influence of parents’ psychographics on loyalty toward private primary and secondary schools in Makassar, with the mediating roles of perceived value and brand prestige. A quantitative explanatory approach was applied, and data were collected from 254 parents using structured online and paper-based questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) through SmartPLS 4.0. The results show that parents’ psychographics significantly affect perceived value (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) and brand prestige (β = 0.39, p < 0.001). Both perceived value (β = 0.32, p < 0.001) and brand prestige (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) positively influence loyalty, while these two variables partially mediate the relationship between psychographics and loyalty. The model explains 59% of the variance in parental loyalty, confirming a dual-path mediation mechanism: rational (value-based) and emotional (prestige-based). The findings suggest that parents’ loyalty arises from a combination of rational evaluations and emotional attachment to school reputation. The practical implication is that private schools should enhance perceived value through educational quality and strengthen brand prestige through reputation management to foster long-term parental commitment