The voices of home educated adolescents: a participatory research study exploring their home education experiences

Abstract

Home education has gained increased attention in both public and academic discourse, due to a significant increase in home educators since COVID-19. There is relatively little known about home education in the UK. Yet, despite the growing body of literature, there remain noticeable gaps in the understanding of home education, its practices and long-term outcomes, with existing research largely overlooking the perspectives of young people.

This study explores the lived experiences of home educated adolescents, with a specific emphasis on their perceived educational outcomes and social development. Employing a tailored participatory research design, six home educated adolescents, aged between 13-16 years, conducted their independent research projects examining their educational experience being home educated. The participants were presented with two research questions related to their educational outcomes and social development, and collected, analysed and wrote their research findings in a report independently, with guidance from the researcher throughout the process.

The study presents four prominent themes that underscore the unique characteristics of the adolescents’ home education experience. Firstly, it showcases their capacity to autonomously pursue their interests, leading to a proactive approach to learning. Secondly, findings highlight the adolescents’ ability to identify and seize new learning opportunities spontaneously that extend beyond the traditional schooling paradigm. The third theme emphasises the blurred boundaries between informal and formal learning, suggesting a seamless integration of knowledge acquired through daily activities into their educational journey. Lastly, the data indicates that home educated adolescents have the space and encouragement to evolve into independent learners, taking control over their learning contents and methods. The four themes collectively contribute to an overarching perception of education as an encompassing process woven into their daily lives. Rather than compartmentalising educational outcomes and social development, the findings suggest that natural learning and personal growth occur organically through exercising autonomy and pursuing individual interests facilitated by the flexible and tailored home education environment.

This study’s theoretical contribution to the field is the development and employment of a conceptual framework which enhances the understanding of the lived experiences of home educated adolescents. The conceptual framework encompasses Dewey’s concept of learning through the ‘Process of Living’, the Self-Determination Theory and Multiple Intelligence Theory. The study also
contributes methodologically through the adoption of a tailored participatory research approach, specifically to research with children. The research design has been tailored to the needs and ability of the adolescents and employed methods that align with their lived reality.

This study’s empirical contribution is timely because of the continuous increase of families deregistering their children from schools. The empirical evidence contributes to the understanding of home education practices through the voices of home educated adolescents. Due to the qualitative nature, this study cannot be generalised and is limited to a particular group of young people. It does, however, give a unique insight and centralise the voices of the young people.

Date of Award	26 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Ioannis Costas Batlle (Supervisor) & Shona McIntosh (Supervisor)