The focus of this study is on alternative education, specifically, Home Education (HE/EHE), which involves learning outside of traditional schooling systems. The study aims to investigate two key aspects of Home Education as chosen by families in the UK. The first objective is to gain insight into how these families perceive their education and the value they place on it. The second objective is to explore how children and young people can share their educational capital (EC) with significant adults in their lives, such as their parents.Home Education is different from traditional education as it exists on the periphery of our usual education system. It provides a unique context that encourages both children and adults to engage in concurrent learning processes. The literature review is divided into two parts. The first explores the history and context of Home Education, while the second explores the concept of Education Capital (EC) and how individuals within a family value collective education. The literature review highlights the need for research involving children and young people directly while listening to their voices. Rather than being researched abstractly, there is a gap within current HE literature where the child/young person's voice should exist. This study uses a combination of methods, including Photovoice. I began by conducting an online survey. The 27 families who responded to the online survey represented a total of 52 children and young people. The survey findings highlight an increase in education capital with adults who participate in the education of their children outside of traditional schooling. Almost all adults identify an increase in their subject knowledge across English and maths, with many identifying an increase in humanities and sciences. Those who answered the survey highlight time as being of value to them and suggest that there is no limit to the time available to them and their children to undertake learning which is in direct contrast to the process of schooling. Recruiting home educating families for the second phase of research proved to be a challenge. Out of the 27 families who responded to the online survey, only three families agreed to participate in the Photovoice segment of the study. These families included three mothers (with varied demographics), two young people aged 15-18 years, and three children aged 8-14 years. Each family chose at least seven photos that represented their individual home educational experiences. To ensure ethical considerations were met, gatekeepers assisted the young children in understanding the research process. I emphasised the importance of consent and reminded the children and young people that they could withdraw at any time. This was also the case for the young adult participant who was 18 years old. An inductive thematic analysis of the interviews revealed multiple findings. A follow-up interview was then conducted with both adults and children/young people participating jointly. This interview format proved invaluable in understanding the dynamics governing education within the home education setting as experienced by the participating families. The Photovoice findings reveal that children and young people possess a keen awareness of the significance of their education and the purpose of cultivating valuable resources for their future endeavours. Notably, the research revealed that certain young participants demonstrated a strong sense of self-assurance and were inclined to express their perspectives when provided with a conducive environment to do so. The voices of these young people exhibited traits of validity, clarity, and purpose, as they skilfully identified and addressed perceived inaccuracies in the narratives put forward by adults.A pivotal outcome of the study is the identification of two distinctive narratives existing between young people and adults. Specifically, adults exhibited a preoccupation with matters about examinations, certifications, and the formalised assessment of learning through grades and academic achievements. In contrast, the children and young individuals consistently reaffirmed their desire for autonomy, creativity, and control over their educational capital, with an evident focus on aspects that extended beyond the realm of academic capital, such as exams and certifications. The findings also revealed surprising results, with young people discussing the benefits of HE as being time with siblings and parents, suggesting during a discussion that should they have been educated within formal schooling, the relationships with siblings and parents would have been different.The study concludes with young people emphasizing the benefits of autonomy and self-directed learning. They report that self-direction allows them to pursue their interests, and work at a faster pace towards higher education and professional careers. This study contributes to the new and growing literature acknowledging and encouraging the young voices of Home Education.
Chelle Oldham (Wed,) studied this question.