Teens in transition : stories of disaffection and hope

Abstract

The paper is based on four hours of interviews with two female high school students in Western Canada and traces their successful completion of secondary school in an alternative setting. The girls' recollection of elementary, jr. high school and high school experiences highlight their perception of what was lacking for them in the traditional school setting and what they perceive as positive in the alternative center. Many quotes give a clear sense of the girls' voices and the themes evolve from their comments. Relationships emerge as central to all school situations with issues such as classroom climate, teacher and peer personalities, lack of privacy in school settings and ownership of their learning choices falling under this category. Youth culture is a key component in their stories and the themes of pushout, underachievement, peer pressure and hidden curriculum appear throughout. The interviews trace the evolution of their future goals during their semester at the alternative school and the reasons they perceive the setting to be such a positive venue for learning.