An Inquiry into the Education and School Experiences of Siblings of Seriously Ill Children

• Author / Creator

  Moyes, Jessica, A. S.

• The education and school experiences of siblings of seriously ill children are greatly affected when the family of an ill child is required to travel for life saving treatment. This study inquired into the narratives of the children as temporary and uniquely challenged students in Alberta to investigate the research puzzle of how school age siblings of seriously ill children perceive and make sense of their school and education experiences when a child in the family becomes seriously ill and must travel for medical care. Conversations with the students allowed one to locate their perceptions and meanings at the centre of research and within the larger conversation about education policies and practices. Utilizing a children’s rights lens, the research considered the viewpoints of the students regarding their respective educational journeys and subsequent needs against the considerations and resources actually made available. Together, the stated educational requirements, changing priorities and the demands on the child allowed for the research to provide a comprehensive collection of policy, practice and research recommendations to be put forth for consideration. Consistent among them, however, is the need to involve the child in the conversations directly affecting them.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Siblings of sick children
  • Narrative inquiry
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Sick children

• Graduation date

  Spring 2015

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Education

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3238J

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.