Project details: A pilot study to investigate reasons for elective home education for Gypsy and Traveller parents in Hampshire
Funding Body
Hampshire County Council
Duration
November 2008 - October 2009
Description
The aims of research is to examine the reasons why parents decide to home educate their children, to explore the role of support agencies within EHE and to examine recent policy initiatives in EHE.
Parents will be asked about the following themes/issues:
1. What the reasons parents decide to take their children out of school and home educate?
2. What does home education involve (e.g. do parents use tutors or do they educate their children themselves)?
3. What kind of support do parents use in home educating? Who do they turn to? Do they use the Traveller Education Service? Do they use other organizations such as Education Otherwise etc?
Twenty case studies will be conducted with Gypsy and Traveller families in Hampshire. The parents (either mother or father) of children who are being home educated will be interviewed. The Gypsy and Traveller families will be accessed via the Traveller Education Service and Education Authority (Minority Ethnic Services). Interviews will be tape-recorded (with the agreement of respondents) and the data transcribed. Interview data will be analyzed thematically and categorized under topics and headings. The findings from the study will be used to inform current policy making around elective home education as well as examining sources of support required for parents who are home educating.
Principal Investigator
Kalwant Bhopal
