The link between disaffection and the concept of 'suitable education'

An alternative approach to understanding disaffection

Research by Nardi & Steward (2000, 2003), considers the notion that children can be ‘quietly disaffected’.  Nardi & Steward (2000, 2003) observed students in the classroom who had been identified as disengaged by their mathematics teacher.  They followed up their observations with semi-structured interviews with the children as well as interviews with the teacher in combination with data and projections relating to achievement.  They comment that the measurement of disaffection needs to be extended outside of the parameters of truancy and disruptive behaviour to include those children who take part but not to any substantial level, due, among other things, to a perception of the lack of relevance of what they are learning (Nardi & Steward, 2003).  Their conclusion implies a definition of disaffection, from their interpretation of the perspective of children, as boredom, isolation, resentment, alienation, demoralisation and fatalism (Nardi & Steward, 2003).  What is particularly interesting is that children in their sample had been identified as quietly disaffected and this begs the question of how many might be quietly disaffected and not been identified.

Is it possible that, by grouping together only children who truant, disrupt classes, challenge the system under the umbrella of disaffection, we are missing something?  Could it be that they share their disaffection in common with other children but choose to voice it differently?  Could it be simply that the way we identify and measure disaffection creates an illusion of a commonality that does not exist?  Could there be many more children who are quietly disaffected?  And if so, what are the mechanisms through which children are able to voice their quiet disaffection, if any?  And, are these mechanisms suitable and efficient?

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