Home Education: Risk, Choice and Marginalised Communities

Author(s):

Martin Myers(presenting / submitting)Kalwant Bhopal(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2017

Network:

14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

14 SES 05 B, Home Education in Marginalised Communities

Paper Session

Time:

2017-08-23

13:30-15:00

Room:

K3.22

Chair:

Robyn Henderson

Contribution

Home Education or Home Schooling is being chosen by more families across Europe and in North America as their preferred option for the education of their children (Bhopal & Myers, 2009; Ray, 2015). This paper will draw on research conducted with 20 families who were home educating in England. The research focussed on the choices made by a variety of families including those from different ethnic, religious and class backgrounds to home educate. In this paper we discuss the trend in discourses around home education, (particularly in the media, but also in political policy-making and academic writing), to either celebrate or vilify parental choices (Bhopal & Myers, 2016). For example; a white, middle-class family choosing to home educate may often be described in positive terms surrounding the promotion of individual freedoms, creativity and seizing opportunities. By contrast, some Muslim families have been described in terms of withdrawing their children into protective, ‘radicalising’ bubbles in which the rights of their children to be a citizens are compromised. This paper argues that such binary discourses can be understood in relation to ‘risk’: both the risk that families might associate with mainstream schooling and the risks society associates with the educational choices made by families (Beck, 1992). Consequently the discourses around home education work to both marginalise and privilege different communities.

Method

In-depth case studies were conducted by the authors with 20 home educating families to explore the reasons why families chose to home educate. We wanted to gain a detailed understanding of what led to parents/carers making the decision to home educate and analyse the advantages and disadvantages associated with this decision. The research had a focus on understandings and theories of risk; both the risks identified by home educating families and the risks that might be associated with choosing home education. A case study approach was considered effective because it ‘consists of a detailed investigation, often with data collected over a period of time, of phenomena, within their context’ (Hartley, 2004: 323). By understanding the wider context of home educator’s choices a case study approach allows for an examination of the theoretical issues that might underpin respondents’ behaviours. Families were accessed through home education organisations. We posted adverts asking families to contact us via specific home education websites as well as organisations putting us in touch with families who may be interested in the study. After our initial contact with various families, we used a snowball sample and asked other respondents if they knew of other families who may be interested. All of the interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed through an iterative process. Categories were developed in which we explored different behaviours and patterns. We organised the data around key themes and the main research questions (Hartley, 2004). The data analysis was based on, ‘…examining, categorising, tabulating and testing…to test the initial propositions of the study’ (Yin, 2003:109). Patterns in the data were identified which were interpreted in terms of setting and used inform an interpretation of the meaning of the data (Neuman, 1997)

Expected Outcomes

The research suggests social class, ethnicity and religious affiliation all impact upon the perceptions of home educators. In particular some more marginalised communities (e.g. Gypsies and Travellers) may be regarded as putting their children ‘at risk’ by choosing to home educate; whilst other more mainstream families are understood to be successfully managing risk.

References

Beck, Ulrich. Risk society: Towards a new modernity. Vol. 17. Sage, 1992. Bhopal, K., & Myers, M. (2009). A pilot study to investigate reasons for elective home education for Gypsy and Traveller children in Hampshire. Chicago Bhopal, K., & Myers, M. (2016). Marginal groups in marginal times: Gypsy and Traveller parents and home education in England, UK. British Educational Research Journal, 42(1), 5-20. Hartley, J. (2004). Case Study Research,[w:] Essential guide to qualitative methods in organizational research, pod red. C. Cassell, G. Symo. Neuman, W. L. (1997). Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches. Allyn & Bacon. Needham Heights, USA. Ray, B. D. (2015). Research Facts on Homeschooling. National Home Education Research Institute. Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research design and methods third edition. Applied social research methods series, 5.

Author Information

Martin Myers (presenting / submitting)

University of Portsmouth

School of Education and Childhood Studies

Portsmouth

Kalwant Bhopal (presenting)

University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

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