Global Education Market Segmentation & Decision-Making Study

Objective

1. To Understand Decision-Making Drivers: Identify the key factors influencing education choices for students, parents, advisors, university heads, and employers.
2. To Explore Cohort-Specific Preferences: Evaluate how each cohort perceives education-related products and services, and uncover differences in preferences based on age, education level, and employment status.
3. To Assess Market Trends: Understand emerging trends in global education, such as the shift to online learning, international education opportunities, and the role of edtech platforms.
4. To Provide Actionable Segmentation Insights: Offer actionable recommendations for educational institutions, policymakers, and edtech providers based on these insights.

Approach

To ensure comprehensive and accurate insights, we employed a multi-method research approach, integrating both quantitative surveys and qualitative insights. This approach was vertically integrated, allowing us to manage the entire lifecycle of the research, ensuring high-quality, tailored insights for the education sector.
 

Quantitative Surveys:

• Survey Structure: The survey was designed with specific sections for each cohort (students, parents, advisors, university heads, and employers). Each cohort had tailored questions to understand their unique decision-making drivers, with a mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions. 
   

Key metrics captured included:

• Likelihood to Recommend: How likely are respondents to recommend certain educational services or platforms to others?
• Decision-Making Factors: What are the primary factors influencing their decisions (e.g., cost, quality, location, career prospects)?
• Uniqueness: How unique are certain education services in terms of innovation, value, and relevance?
   

Cohort-Specific Focus: The survey targeted different cohorts, including:

Qualitative Insights:

• Open-Ended Questions: These allowed us to dive deeper into the motivations and opinions behind cohort-specific preferences and decision-making processes. For instance, students were asked about the role of family and advisors in their decision-making, while parents were asked about their involvement in shaping their children's education.
   
• In-Depth Analysis: We used qualitative data to identify common themes, concerns, and opportunities in the education sector. These insights helped us refine the survey questions and ensure we were addressing the most pressing issues for each cohort.

Methodology

Immersion & Kickoff:

• We started by reviewing global education trends and emerging shifts such as the increasing role of online learning, distance education, and international study opportunities.
• Hypotheses around decision-making factors and educational aspirations were formulated to guide the survey design.

Survey Design & Execution:

• The survey included sections relevant to each cohort, exploring factors such as education pursued, employment status, sector of occupation, and education preferences.
• Key questions included Screener questions (to categorize respondents), Qualification questions (to ensure cohort-specific responses), and Decision-Making Factors (e.g., the role of online learning and parental involvement in education choices).

Market Landscape Audit:

• A detailed audit of global educational services and edtech platforms was conducted to ensure the survey was aligned with current trends and market gaps.

Brand Health Survey:

• The study also examined how educational brands and edtech platforms were perceived, using metrics like brand awareness, uniqueness, and likelihood to recommend.

Target Audience

The study targeted 700 respondents from six distinct cohorts:

1. Student Cohort:
   • Young Students (16-20 years) and Adult Students (21+ years), from both the UK and international markets (China, India, Nigeria, France, USA).
2. Influencer Cohort:
   • Parents, Advisors, and Pre-University School Heads, with regional insights from the UK and international countries.
3. University Heads:
   • Senior leaders from universities, primarily based in the UK.
4. Employer Cohort:
   • Employers from a range of industries that hire graduates and professionals, focusing on career progression and educational backgrounds.
      

Impact

The study provided actionable insights for educational institutions, policymakers, and edtech providers:

1. Segmentation Insights: The study revealed how different age groups, employment statuses, and geographies influence educational decisions, such as program selection, study location, and future career paths.
2. Decision-Making Drivers: Key factors such as cost, course relevance, career prospects, and the role of family were identified as pivotal in shaping education choices. Educational institutions can use this information to tailor their offerings accordingly.
3. Brand Perception & Loyalty: Insights into how different cohorts perceive educational institutions and edtech platforms helped identify areas for improvement in branding, customer engagement, and loyalty programs.
4. Market Trends: The research helped identify key trends such as the growing influence of online learning platforms, distance education, and the increasing number of students considering international education options.