Sandhu, Sapna;
(2024)
Exploring home-educated children's experiences of pedagogy in a learning community.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Home education remains a highly debated topic in the context of education in the UK, particularly with its increased popularity in recent years (Long & Danechi, 2023; Ed Executive, 2024). Amidst this trend, self-directed learning communities have emerged as an alternative educational model for home-educated CYP. However, there is limited research exploring the pedagogical approaches within these spaces. This study addresses this gap by exploring the lived experiences of home-educated children and their parents within a self-directed learning community. Drawing on the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), which features autonomy, competence and relatedness as fundamental psychological needs, this research examines how the pedagogy in a self-directed learning community fulfils these needs and its relation to the overall wellbeing of CYP. Employing a case study methodology, data was generated using a Mosaic approach (Clark & Moss, 2001) including drawings, tours, photography, and semi-structured interviews with three children and semi-structured interviews with their parents. Visual data was categorised using content analysis and combined with the use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify themes. Four Group Experiential Themes were identified: characteristics of the learning community; building and maintaining community bonds; an individualised approach to learning; and motivations to home educate and attend a learning community. The findings indicate the pedagogical approaches in one learning community can positively support CYP’s wellbeing by fostering their needs for autonomy and relatedness. However, challenges were discussed concerning how CYP’s need for competence was being fostered. These insights have implications for EPs seeking to better understand the home education context, and advocate for CYP and families who feel marginalised by traditional schooling. This study contributes to a deeper understanding on how self-directed learning communities can offer meaningful educational alternatives for CYP. It highlights the importance of recognising alternative educational contexts that prioritise CYP’s wellbeing and development.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring home-educated children's experiences of pedagogy in a learning community |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195055 |
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