Children in childcare homes: a qualitative study to explore their educational experiences in state schools in Goa

Various research studies have examined the relationship between parenting and schooling. This study explores the educational experiences of children without biological parents, residing in a childcare home and studying in a mainstream state school in the Indian state of Goa.

According to Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction, a conventional school setting and the teaching staff enable social reproduction to take place, such that the children’s educational outcomes and career aspirations tend to align with their parents’ cultural and social capital. Involving the children’s own perspectives, this study explores how in the context of children who are raised in a childcare home setting without their own parents, the children negotiate their academic and extra- curricular experiences in school and beyond. The theoretical framework is based on three interconnected theories: Bourdieu's social reproduction theory (1977), Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth, and Connell’s (2014) Southern Theory which emphasises the importance of decolonising social thought in theory, research, and application. The exploratory, multiple case study approach was used to interview children across two childcare homes, as well as teachers who taught in schools which children in care attended. Thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) was used to analyse the data, with the findings highlighting how the children’s own agency and their peer relationships help strengthen their own unique capital, helping them navigate their educational experiences.