Investigating Creative Arts Practices in Australian Home Education Through Design-Based Research: Entering the Research Maze with the Spirit of Adventure

Abstract

The metaphor of the maze is often used to convey the complexity and confusion of research, and yet for many, the act of entering a maze is undertaken in the spirit of adventure, where the journey is all the more enriching for the twists, turns and dead-ends. Reflecting on her emergent doctoral journey which is using Design-Based research to explore how Australian home educators teach and engage with the Arts, the researcher describes how she has embraced the challenges and complexities of educational research in the 21 st century. In her attempt to engage in authentic research that has genuine benefit for participants, the challenges encountered have come to be appreciated as some of the most beneficial enhancers of the research process and potential outcomes.