Unschooled but not uneducated: A case study of two parents’ motivations and perceptions for unschooling their children

Abstract The issue surrounding unschooling revolves around the tension between established educational norms and the desire of some parents to provide their children with a more flexible and individualized learning experience that diverges from traditional school structures and curricula. This study primarily aimed to explore parents’ motivations and perceptions about unschooling as an alternative educational approach for their children, contributing to a better understanding of this alternative teaching methodology. The study utilized a multiple case study design involving semi-structured interviews with cases of unschooling. This study was conducted in Bayawan City, Philippines. The study participants were two parents who choose unschooling as the preferred path for their children. The researchers applied the six phases for reflexive thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke. The researchers generated four themes: parents’ perceived benefits of unschooling, personalized learning and parental involvement together create pathways to self-actualization, concerns and critiques of traditional education, and cultivating envisioned living through alternative education. The study reveals that parents embrace unschooling to nurture their children’s innate curiosity and motivation, prioritizing a joyful, pressure-free, and individualized learning journey that fosters autonomy and lifelong learning, all aimed at enriching the child’s overall quality of life.