Experience and Influence : Student and Parent Perspectives of an Alternative School

Lakehead University Knowledge Commons,http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations from 2009 2010 Experience and influence : student and parent perspectives of an alternative school Williams, Alice Carol http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/147 Downloaded from Lakehead University, KnowledgeCommons EXPERIENCE and INFLUENCE: STUDENT and PARENT PERSPECTIVES of an ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL by CAROL WILLIAMS A Th esis submitted in partial fitlfillment of the requirements fo r the degree of Master of Education FACULTY OF EDUCATION LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO May 2010 © Alice Carol Williams ABSTRACT Traditionally, education and schooling have been developed by and implemented through the adult perspective. An increasing number of educators and researchers focus on alternatives to mainstream education and this study adds to the growing body of research in this area. Specifically, it gives voice to children and parents at an alternative schooL What are the experiences of children? What influences these? How do parents play a role? Semi-structured interviews with three students and four parents at a publicly funded alternative elementary school in Ontario provide a window into understanding student experiences and influences thereupon. Three main themes emerge: trust, environment and community. Together, these components provide students with some freedom to direct their own learning. Adults, who have been willing to step outside of the traditional perspective of education, are key. The community influences the directions taken at the school according to the needs of students and an increasingly diverse population; however, influences over which they have little or no control can be cause for concern. Many questions arise from this phenomenological study. Can this type of school support the growth and development of all children? Does it promote elitism? What factors contribute to coercion? These questions invite dialogue not only within this school community, but the larger educational system as welL Mainstream education can learn from this investigation and the questions posed. It requires acknowledging this alternative perspective, examining preconceived notions of schooling and learning, and letting go of control, both as a system and as individuals. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to recognize the study participants: without their interest and commitment, this research would not be what it is. Truly, I have appreciated their openness, honesty, and willingness to entrust their stories to me. In addition, I am grateful to the school community for opening their doors to my request, and in particular, to R.S. who was a most supportive contact throughout. For embarking on this learningjo urney with me, I extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Donald Kerr, and committee member, Dr. Paul Berger: fr om classroom discourse to probing questions, thought provoking comments and editing suggestions, they have encouraged and challenged my thinking. Too, the perspective of Dr. Alex Lawson has strengthened the focus and arguments throughout. As well, I recognize the time and expertise of the external examiner, Dr. Terry Wotherspoon: his comments and deep knowledge of this topic have enriched my own understandings. I am indebted to you all, and take full responsibility for areas in this work that may be lacking or in need of more consistent formatting. Many others have played a part in this adventure, particularly Dr. Gerald Walton, Dr. Anthony Bartley and Dr. Philip Allingham who offered opportunities to question and examine educational issues from different perspectives, and Florence Luke, who, many years ago, opened my eyes to the joy of real learning. Sucha radical subject area, I have also greatly enjoyed discourse with open-minded colleagues, fellow graduate students, and others; these discussions have been invaluable to me. Kudos also to Diana Mason and of course the Education Library staff for the up front and behind the scenes support. Finally, I embrace and thank those close to me: for their ongoing support and words of encouragement, my friends and extended family, both near and far; for their unending love and faith in me, my parents, Jim and Joyce; for providing scholarly and brotherly advice, my oldest sibling, Dr. Joe Bishop; for summers spent watching over my son and being drawn into my research world, my sister Mari and her partner Krista, my brother Martin, my sister-in-law Nola and my nieces and nephew, Kaia, Courtney, Katie and Jimmy. I could not have done this without them all. Lastly, to my partner in love and life, Doug, and our son, Sebastien: for their love, patience, strength, confidence, comic relief and gift of time, without which these pages would have remained blank. lll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract 11 Acknowledgements 111 Table of Contents 1v I: Introduction 1 Context 1 Research Questions 3 Literature Review 5 Historical Educational Influences 7 Ontario's Historical Educational Debate 9 Education Practices in Ontario 12 Conflicting pressures: Neo-liberalism and Neo-conservatism 13 Accountability 15 Academic and hidden curricula 18 Deficitthinking 21 The youth perspective 23 What Alternatives Offer 28 Freedom, choice and democratic participation 30 Emotions and learning 32 Trust and learning 33 Diversity and learning 3 7 Individual measures of success: The student voice 40 Teaching and Learning 44 Self-directed learning 44 Children as valued citizens 47 Community involvement 49 Summary 51 Significance 52 IV II: Research Design 56 Method 56 Participants 58 Limitations 59 The Interview Process 60 Data Analysis 63 III: Findings and Discussion 66 Trust 67 Educational Experiences and Beliefs of Parents 67 Emotions 70 Environment 71 Freedom 72 Self-Directed Learning 74 The little kids 76 The big kids 79 Choice 82 Teachers 85 Success 87 Community 90 Whole-School Meetings for Children 91 Committee 92 Parents and Other Volunteers 94 Diversity and Equity 97 ExternalInfluences 99 Summary 102 IV: Conclusions 103 Summary 103 Implications 104 Final Words and Reflections 107 v References 109 Appendix 1: Student Interview Protocol 119 Appendix 2: Parent Interview Protocol 120 Appendix 3: Data Analysis Coding 121 Appendix 4: Interview Questions - Revised 122 VI CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Context Though the idea for this research project did not enter my consciousness until several years ago, it has been in the making for some forty years. To set the context, I look to my memories, as Eber Hampton (1996) suggests, expanding my knowledge and understanding of the reasons and purposes behind this study. When I began my teaching career in 1990, a graduate of a prestigious Ontario Faculty of Education, I felt ill-prepared to teach my first class of Grade 6 students. Though I had learnededucational theory and some instructional and classroom management strategies, I did not know what to teach the students in my care. When the Ontario government introduced the standard Ontario curriculum in the mid- 1990s, I was thrilled to have a direction. As a primary and junior teacher I taught, or at least attempted to teach, the mandated curriculum. As with other teachers in the province, I found that, among other problems, there never seemed to be enough time to get through it all. As well, I noticed that, especially around report card time, I became strictly marks-oriented: teach it, test it, and get a mark. I began to wonder what, if anything, my students were learningand what I was actually teaching. Experience in a variety of diverse situations, along with participation in professional development opportunities, enhanced my pedagogy and understanding of teaching. As I gained a deeper understanding of the curriculum, I began to understand that teachers were not meant to "get through it all." However, something still did not feel right. All around me, it seemed as if children were being forced or cajoled into learning; those who could not cope were sent to special programs while still others stayed in the regular classroom with Educational Assistants. I noticed that more and more students with special needs survived with the help of prescription medication, and I wondered about a system where children needed drugs in order to fit in. Further, I became disheartened that the emphasis on literacy and mathematics seemed to be at the expense of other areas of learning. I began to question the organization of schooling and student discipline, and the purpose behind the mandated curriculum. As I became more aware of what some call the hidden curriculum in compulsory schooling, (Gatto, 2005; Holt, 2004; 1 Illich, 1971; Jackson, 1990), I realized that I wanted, and needed, schooling to be something more than what it seemed to be. Despite my growing personal discontent with the curriculum and education as I understood it, when I first heard about schools where children are free to direct their own learning, I was skeptical. What could students possibly learnwithout direction? How would they learn? Was it possible? What about the basics? Upon reflection, I realized that I had been looking at my questions from the point of view of traditional schooling. Naturally, this perspective made sense to me, as I had grown up in the mainstream system, believing that a student's job was to learnwhat the teacher taught. As a child I had in fact done just that. I had learnedto memorize and regurgitate information. My hard work had always been

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