UBC Graduate Research

Navigating liminal space : my journey towards becoming a home economics teacher Dyck, Rosie Angeline

Abstract

This self-study is an exploration of my personal journey through liminal space towards becoming a home economics teacher. I explore how my understanding of curriculum and pedagogy has evolved throughout this process. My research is situated in the interpretivist paradigm, incorporating the methodologies of self-study, narrative inquiry, and a/r/tography. My research puzzle is:  In what ways has my experience of liminal space shaped my understanding of curriculum and pedagogy (in general, and specifically in home economics)? My focus is on the educational significance of liminal space, looking beyond the visible transitions between studenthood (Field, 2012) and professional life. I examine threshold concepts, which “represent a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress” (Meyer & Land, 2003, p. 1), including what I believe to be threshold concepts of home economics education: everyday life, ecological perspective, interdisciplinarity, and community. Besides helping myself to navigate the idea of home economics in an elementary classroom, my journey through liminal space may help others who are trying to teach home economics in various subject areas, including experienced teachers making mid-career moves to new teaching areas. Since home economics education programs are being cut at the university level, and home economics is not explicitly taught at many schools, there is a need to examine how home economics can be taught throughout the curriculum.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International