Against Teaching Home As Housing in School: Examining How Teachers Teach Home

ABSTRACT

Home is often considered the exact opposite of homelessness, implying a physical shelter. However, scholars argue that home holds various meanings . Within the curriculum, home often serves as the foundation for teaching children about their social worlds. This study examines how elementary school teachers, who were taking a course in a master’s program, initially perceived the notions of home and reflected on their teaching practices related to the concept of home. Data included written reflections by teachers throughout the course, online survey responses, and individual interviews. Through analyzing teachers’ critical reflections, this study uncovers how the notions of home are institutionalized and how the conventional notions of home in the curriculum can neglect children experiencing homelessness. The data reveal that teachers initially brought to the classroom various meanings of home but had limited awareness of the notions of home presented in the curriculum. The teachers also reflected that they tended to teach home as housing at a fixed site, mirroring Eurocentric middle-class values. This study provides implications for teachers and teacher educators, school curricula, and future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Curriculum
• home
• homelessness
• space
• teachers’ critical reflections

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jinhee Kim

Jinhee Kim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Kennesaw State University. Her research primarily focuses on highly mobile children affected by poverty, especially those experiencing homelessness, within the context of early childhood education. Additionally, she delves into the experiences of immigrant children and their families, with a particular emphasis on Asian American children and families.