Home education, defmed in this study as the full-time education of children in and around the home by their committed parents or guardians, is a growing educational option in both the US and the UK. It is a tremendous challenge for parents because it is a constantly lived intellectual and emotionally absorbing experience concerning the future of their children. Most research into home education focuses on children: this project explores it from the perspective of parents. Data was collected through fIfty preliminary questionnaires and thirty-four in-depth interviews. Surprisingly, fmandal concerns, career curtailment and 'time for one's self did not emerge as signillcant. However, parents had an enonnous task to face, to think about styles and approaches to education. Being in a small minority group, moreover one that challenged established educational practice, also left parents feeling marginalised. The research describes how parents adapt to their new role and how this changes them as indiViduals. A theoretical framework which deals with changes both with regard to learning and identity is Wenger's (1998) Community of Practice which analyses learning through practice in a sodal setting and connects these practices to identity fonnation. The community of practice is defmed according to its joint ' . enterprise (common goal), mutual engagement (meeting up with others to pursue the common goal) and shared repertoire (memories, stories and jokes of the community). The theory was modified in order to apply it not only to the paradigmatic neighbourhood home education groups but also to virtual home education networks and even to the exceptional cases where parents relate through the home education constellation alone. It is further proposed that, without realising it, the experience of home educating is interwoven with broader self-development; parents do not only educate their children but themselves as well, including becoming more politically aware. They become different people, not only with regard to a radical change in their educational views but also experiencing a profound change of identity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:491478 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Safran, Leslie |
| Publisher | Open University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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