Hernandez, Rafael;
(2025)
A case study of concerted cultivation: enrichment activities and middle-class families.
Doctoral thesis (Ed.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This research presents an analysis of parental motivations, within middle-class families, who enrolled their children to participate in enrichment activities based on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) courses and examines how children experience and feel being involved in enrichment activities. Enrichment activities are defined as activities that go beyond the school curriculum and do not involve rigorous academic examinations. This study is based on questionnaires, interviews and field notes involving ten parents and ten children who were interviewed during two different rounds of data collection. The overarching research questions were: ‘How do children experience and feel being exposed to enrichment activities?’ and ‘What are parents’ motivations to engage their children in enrichment activities?’. Data were analysed using thematic analysis from a constructivist epistemological stance. The results show that children tend to perceive STEAM enrichment activities as a relaxed and enjoyable experience due to the more flexible approach they offer compared to the traditional school approach. Parents’ motivations tend to vary depending on the understanding of how others perceive education as a representation of knowledge and power. Middle-class parents appear to actively work in the construction of children’s academic identities and personal development in connection with the social, cultural and academic opportunities readily available for their children. It was found that the concept of ‘concerted cultivation’ appears to be largely connected to the parental priorities and parental pressures that in some cases might also have an adverse impact on children’s mental health. Consequently, it is proposed to move towards a causal model that permits children to enjoy their academically demanding experience at school with an amalgamation of enjoyment and excitement for learning. Future research should consider the mechanisms through which activities exert influence on children’s academic and personal development, taking into consideration their mental health and personal wellbeing.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ed.D |
| Title: | A case study of concerted cultivation: enrichment activities and middle-class families |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203621 |
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