Selection of private early childhood education center in Alor Setar using AHP-TOPSIS method

The selection of a suitable Early Childhood Education (ECE) center is a complex decision influenced by multiple challenges and criteria. Selection of an ECE center that relies solely on subjective parental preferences can result in inconsistent and biased choices. This study aims to assist parents in selecting the most preferred ECE center in Alor Setar by proposing a comprehensive framework that integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to systematically evaluate and rank ECE centers. Based on a literature review and a pilot study, five main selection criteria were identified: fees, location, curriculum, learning methodologies, and safety. Six ECE centers in Alor Setar were evaluated: Little Caliphs, Brainy Bunch, Sinaran Montessori, Methodist Kindergarten, Span Kids, and Ilmi Orchard Montessori. AHP was used to determine the weight of each criterion based on pairwise comparisons between the criteria, while TOPSIS was applied to rank the ECE centers based on the determined criterion weights. Thirty parents participated in this study to assess the best ECE center according to their preferences. The result showed that safety (0.3711) was the most important criterion for parents when choosing an ECE center, followed by location (0.1792) and curriculum (0.1589). Meanwhile, Span Kids emerged as the most preferred ECE center in Alor Setar, followed by Methodist Kindergarten and Ilmi Orchard Montessori. This study provides clear guidance for parents in selecting an ECE center that aligns with their priorities, ensuring that children receive a safe and high-quality environment for their early development. Furthermore, the study offers valuable input to ECE center management to improve their service quality, which in turn positively impacts the community by providing better early childhood education.