Contribution
The struggles -and successes- that homeschoolers and the homeschooled have in diverse societies (Arai, 2000; Aurini, & Davies, 2005; Brabant, 2004) are symptomatic of a complex reality in need of a great deal more research as well as an organizational structure to undertake pertinent research. The reasons for this need are many none the least of which has to do with the fragmented understanding of that complex reality that characterizes both the current research in, and the social stigma and reactions to, homeschooling. How can we best comprehend homeschooling that could be beneficial, from community understanding, to employment and post-secondary assumptions? This question is all the more important to understand not so much because of the rise in homeschooling as because of the potential impact it can have -and is having- on communities, educators, legislators, employers and post-secondary institutions. These and other questions demand a broader and more comprehensive perspective than is currently practiced. A preliminary finding in preparation for this study indicates a fragmented and disjointed research agenda concerning homeschooling. A means of attending to a broader perspective is to consider an application of systemic thinking (Flood, 1999; Midgley, 2001), or studying the whole phenomenon as it interrelates with outside factors (in this case factors such as community, schools and institutions, assumptions and expectations, and biases), and with participants in that phenomenon or event (Després, 2006, 2004a, 2004b). The Systemic Factors Inventory Analysis matrix, or SyFIA (see attached; Després, in press, 2006, 2005) provides such a means to expose and examine the critical factors that pertain to an event. Its utility and uniqueness are in its ability to visually demonstrate to the observer the pertinent factors contributing to an event and to determine those factors that are discordant or inconsistent with the other factors and attributes. The SyFIA also is a useful tool for researchers to determine where their discussions of findings are located related to an event under study (again in this case homeschooling). Of the research findings, for example, which I examined in anticipation of my systemic study of homeschooling, I was able to see that to date the research has been spotty at best and focused mostly around some issues of philosophical ideals or functionality problems. What this finding suggests is that homeschooling research lacks a vital focus as well as a cohesive approach. Therefore, in order to provide a truly comprehensive understanding of homeschooling -and correspondingly be able to situate research across the theme and dimensions for this conference and beyond-, I am proposing the SyFIA as a means of both categorizing where the locus of research lies and to determine the degree of interconnection of that research. The data compilation will serve to determine the direction of further research and to provide an example of systemic thinking in application for other researchers in other fields. The SyFIA arose from the initial findings of business and education in partnership (Després, 2003a, 2003b). As a 3x3 matrix, the SyFIA exposes the interrelated factors on a systemic scale. Thus, for any event, a researcher or stakeholder could have a truly comprehensive understanding of the factors that compromise an event. Even in conducting preliminary research the use of the SyFIA is warranted because it enables a researcher to determine the locus of current thinking (or research findings, articles, readings) in the context of all attending or factors germane to an event. This presentation will help to further corroborate its utility even across different fields of research and aid in networking with other researchers internationally interested in homeschooling. Systemic Factors Inventory Analysis Matrix (SyFIA), also corresponding to a workshop anticipated for the Main Conference that specifically examines the SyFIA as a practical research tool (see attached matrix for a brief idea of the source). For any event, a researcher or stakeholder could have a truly comprehensive understanding of the factors that compromise an event. Even in conducting preliminary research the use of the SyFIA is warranted because it enables a researcher to determine the locus of current thinking (or research findings, articles, readings) in the context of all attending or factors germane to an event. This presentation will help to further corroborate its utility even across different fields of research and aid in networking with other researchers internationally interested in homeschooling. Arai, A. B. (2000). Reasons for Home Schooling in Canada. Canadian Journal of Education, 25(3): 204- 217. Aurini, J., & Davies, S. (September 2005). Choice without markets: Homeschooling in the context of private education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 26(4): 461-474. Brabant, C. (2004). L'éducation à domicile au Québec: Les raisons du choix des parents et les principales caractéristiques sociodémographiques des familles. Mémoire présenté à la Faculté d'éducation en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maître ès arts (M.A.), Maîtrise en sciences de l'éducation, Université de Sherbrooke, PQ [Unpublished Masters thesis]. Després, B. (Ed., in press). Systems thinkers in action: A field guide for effective change leadership in education. Rowman & Littlefield. Després, B. (April, 2006). Toward a perfect university, Part 1: Corporate reality or Descartian dilemma? Round table presentation at the "Education Research in the Public Interest" American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco. Després, B. (April, 2005). Introduction to the SyFIA (Systemic Factors Inventory Analysis) Matrix: A Meta-analysis tool for understanding complexity. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Montréal (Special Interest Group: Systems Thinking in Education). Després, B. (2004a). Systemic thinking and education leadership: Some considerations. International Electronic Journal For Leadership in Learning, 8(7), University of Calgary Press, http://www.ucalgary.ca/~iejll/ Després, B. (2004b). Systemic thinking: Applications in education and beyond. Paper accepted for presentation at the International Cultural Research Network conference, Florence, Italy.Després, B. (June 2003a). Cultures in tension: Perceptions of business and education in partnership. Paper presentation (ISBN 951-39-1531) at the UNESCO Conference on Intercultural Education, Jyvaskyla, Finland. Després, B. (2003b). Systems in tension: Perceptions of business and education in partnership, Unpublished dissertation, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Flood, R. L. (1999). Rethinking the fifth discipline: Learning within the unknowable. London: Routledge. Jones, P., & Gloeckner, G. (2004). A study of admission officers' perceptions of and attitudes toward homeschool students. The Journal of College Admission, Fall. Luffman, J. (1997). A profile of home schooling in Canada. Education Quarterly Review, 4(4), 30-47. Midgley, G. (2000). Systemic intervention: Philosophy, methodology, and practice. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum. Reich, B. (April 2002). The civic perils of homeschooling. Educational Leadership, 57(7):56-59. Statistics Canada (1997). A profile of home schooling in Canada. Education Quarterly Review, Winter. Catalogue 81-003-XPB. J. Luffman, authour. I will be seeking publication of the paper either prior to or immediately following the EERA Conference.
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