| School design and operation are, at times, counter-productive to cultivating academic and personal success in all students. Teachers often lack adequate preparation time, and are pressed by class size and regulatory mandates. Thus, there is seemingly little time to focus on cultivating affective well-being or a supportive educational climate. This lack of support is linked to high drop-out rates, large numbers of academically unsuccessful students, and the disenfranchisement of many minority and English Language learners in our school system.;The phenomenon of care, particularly as it relates to education, has been studied only briefly. Few comprehensive, qualitative descriptions regarding how students conceptualize care exist despite significant evidence that when students perceive teachers and schools as caring, they have higher and more sustainable levels of academic motivation. This research project endeavored to give children a voice regarding educational care through a qualitative study on the phenomenon of care from an adolescent perspective. The study employed multiple data collection methods including: interviews, art, and student writing with students ages 11-14 from two school environments. Data collected were analyzed using the vanKamm phenomenological method of analysis.;Results indicated that the phenomenon of educational care was a complex set of actions and behaviors from the student vantage point. Five themes emerged including: (1) Relationships are a critical aspect of educational care, (2) Rules in educational settings should be simple and consistent within classrooms and institutions, (3) Students perceive some control of their learning environments as caring, (4) Educational environments and teacher behavior are both critical to care, (5) Basic safety and concern for physical space are necessary for educational care. Each theme is independently necessary but not sufficient when observed alone in educational contexts. Together these themes support Nel Noddings' ideal version of ethical caring, in that they involve motivated behaviors, reciprocal action, receptivity on the part of the students, and a sense of obligation to care in a manner above and beyond noticing the basic well being of the student. The themes indicated by the data demonstrated a multifaceted view of educational care previously undiscovered and provide useful fodder for educators to consider. |
