ADJUSTING TO BOARDING IN AN INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL : a grounded theory research study

Abstract

Despite the long and storied history of boarding schools throughout the world little research has been conducted to establish effective practices for living in such residences. This grounded theory research study, developed through interviews with five alumni of an international boarding school in north India using an attachment theory lens, answers the question, What is the process of adjusting to life in residence for students in an international boarding school? The study postulates that the adjustment process is cyclical in nature whereby at the commencement of boarding a student undergoes culture shock. The degree of shock is influenced by a variety of intervening and contextual conditions. To cope with this shock the new boarder seeks belonging and protection through peer bonds. The many and various transitions experienced throughout one?s time in boarding result in repeated culture shocks with the consequence that adjustment to boarding is an open-ended, recurrent activity.