Home School Families Research Articles

“We Hold Culture in Our Hearts”: A Phenomenological Study of Hispanic/Latina Homeschool Experiences

ABSTRACT Although one of the fastest-growing homeschool subgroups, there are no empirical studies specifically considering Hispanic/Latino/a/x/e homeschool families. This study asks Hispanic and Latina parents to describe what homeschooling means to them. Using phenomenology, intersectionality, and community cultural wealth, we interviewed 18 mothers across the nation. We find that preservation or reclamation of cultural heritage is the most meaningful result of the decision to homeschool. Specific aspects of culture found are family cohesion, familial language, and living the values of a strong work ethic and the need to be resourceful. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

Developing a scale to measure the diversity of motivations and practices of home-schooling

ABSTRACT Internationally, there has been a dramatic evolution in the numbers of parents choosing to home-school their children for some, or all, of their schooling. Research to date has mainly focussed on the characteristics and motivations of parents who home-school. Little is known about the practice and implementation of home-schooling, especially for learners with disability or additional learning needs. Where research exists, it is generally qualitative, location specific, and small in scale. To address this gap, this paper investigates research regarding previously identified reactive and proactive motivations, legal requirements, and implementation processes within home-schooling family demographics. These are then utilised to develop the Parents’ Perceptions of Home-Schooling scale (PPHS), which seeks to clarify both motivations as well as implementation and practical issues associated with choosing to home-school. Discussion focuses on the design of the PPHS scale and an initial study with 21 home-schooling parents. Being created for distribution across geolocational, distinct, and international and national contexts, the PPHS will provide scope to gather large-scale quantitative data with a view to improving the supports available to home-schooling families and enhancing learner outcomes.

Contemporary Homeschooling Arrangements: An Analysis of Three Waves of Nationally Representative Data

Dramatic growth in the homeschool population in recent decades has coincided with an increase in the methods used to educate homeschooled children. However, researchers tend to treat homeschooled children as a uniform group without accounting for vastly different homeschooling arrangements. In this study, we examine the prevalence of four types of homeschool arrangements by pooling three cross-sectional waves of nationally representative data on American homeschool families ( n = 1,468). Results indicate that most homeschool families supplement home education with cooperative instructors and private tutors, online education, and brick-and-mortar schooling. Families who do not use these resources are declining. They are also more likely to be White, less educated, and residing in the South region. Homeschool families whose children attend brick-and-mortar schools part-time are less likely to be White and more likely to reside in urban areas. Future research is needed to explore outcomes across different homeschool arrangements.

What is ‘roadschooling’ and who does it? A data mining web content analysis

Homeschooling families typically have the freedom to plan educational road trips without the constraints of a traditional school calendar. For this study, a total of 21 web pages were selected using ‘roadschool’ – a term that has recently emerged to describe such trips – as a keyword. A web content analysis revealed that this option is perceived as an opportunity for family bonding and is mostly popular among homeschooling families who own recreational vehicles and consider themselves digital nomads. Furthermore, it was observed that roadschooling parents often exhibited personality types that enhanced the overall learning outcomes and experiences of their trips. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Parent Perceptions of a College Physical Education Program for Homeschool Students

Although the number of homeschool students in the United States has increased to approximately 2 million K–12 students as of spring 2010, there has been limited research on homeschool families and physical education. In particular, investigations of parent perceptions of homeschool physical education programs are lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the parent perceptions of a college physical education program for homeschool children. Participants included 11 female parents of a child or children enrolled in the homeschool physical education program for 6 weeks. Data were collected through focus group interviews with the 11 parents placed in one of three groups based on the age of their participant(s). In addition, observational field notes were taken before, during, and after each homeschool physical education session. Data were inductively analyzed for themes through constant comparison of raw data. Methodological and investigator triangulation and member checking were utilized and supported trustworthiness. Five main themes emerged from the data from the parent perceptions of physical education and benefits of participating in physical education. For physical education, homeschool parents described a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Further, the theme of negative physical education experiences describes poor physical activity experiences that have influenced parent perceptions of physical education. Homeschool parents recognized multiple benefits of physical education in relation to their children and to the family. At the student participation level, the theme of affective learning describes the social-emotional development experienced by the homeschool children through the physical education program. The theme of student exposure describes other participant benefits of a physical education program. Finally, the theme of impact on family describes the benefits associated with physical education taking place outside of the college physical education program.

Do Homeschooled Students Lack Opportunities to Acquire Cultural Capital? Evidence from a Nationally Representative Survey of American Households

ABSTRACTExperiences at school may create valuable opportunities for children to acquire cultural capital. One concern for homeschooled children is that they may be deprived of these opportunities. However, homeschool families may enable opportunities for their children to acquire cultural capital through participation in activities outside of formal instructional time. This study investigates this possibility by comparing cultural and family activities between homeschooled students and their public school peers. The analyses use data from a nationally representative survey (National Household Education Survey, 2016) containing a substantial number of respondents who homeschool their children (n = 552). Descriptive results indicated that formal instruction in music, arts, literature, and foreign language is lacking in nearly 40% of homeschool households. Yet, relative to public school families, homeschool families report statistically higher participation in cultural and family activities. While patterns observed in this study are only descriptive, overall evidence suggests that homeschool families may provide opportunities for their children to acquire cultural capital through greater participation in cultural and family activities.

“Homeschooling Is Our Protest:” Educational Liberation for African American Homeschooling Families in Philadelphia, PA

ABSTRACTAs increasing numbers of researchers, parents, and youth are rethinking the traditional school system as the default educational option in the United States, homeschooling is not only growing in size but also in philosophical scope and demographic diversity. African Americans particularly have been one of the steadiest-growing homeschooling demographics. Among the few ethnographic accounts of black homeschooling families, youth perceptions tend to be overlooked. This article builds upon scholarship exploring racial injustices in education with new qualitative research: observations and interviews with 15 African American homeschooling families living in Philadelphia. This research reveals a variety of motivations undergirding African American families’ homeschooling decisions and perspectives, including commentary from youth homeschoolers. Previous research has critiqued homeschooling as a neoliberal exercise in privatization that entrenches the social reproduction of inequality, or operates as a destabilizing threat to public interest. Yet, findings from this study complicate these assessments by examining the ways African American homeschoolers enmesh themselves within educational reform conversations, some viewing homeschooling as a form of political protest.

A Survey of Families in a Charter Hybrid Homeschool

ABSTRACT“Hybrid homeschools” generally operate as formal schools 2–3 days per week. The rest of the week students are homeschooled. These entities therefore share some aspects of conventional schooling along with some aspects of homeschooling and are classified in a variety of ways by their states, local districts, and even their own administrations. Most hybrid homeschools around the nation tend to be private and religiously affiliated, though some public models have emerged. The purpose of this study was to better understand parents’ stated preferences for choosing to enroll their children in a charter school that is organized as a hybrid homeschool network in southern California. An electronic survey was sent through the network’s CEO to all enrolled families asking questions regarding demographics, stated values, and desired sources of information. The results of this survey find that these hybrid homeschool families are on average slightly more ethnically diverse, less wealthy, and less educated compared to private, religious hybrid homeschoolers, but are also more ethnically diverse, more wealthy, and more educated compared to their sponsoring school district. These families tend to place more value on individualized attention and the learning environment than on religion, safety, or formal academic issues when choosing a hybrid homeschool compared to their private, religious counterparts.

Contemporary Homeschool Models and the Values and Beliefs of Home Educator Associations: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACTHome education support groups and associations are increasingly becoming hubs for home learning communities to share resources and knowledge. This literature review examined (a) motivations for joining homeschool groups; (b) values and beliefs that led to the formation of homeschool groups; and (c) how the culture of homeschool groups aids in children’s development. Findings indicated that homeschool families sought groups to share resources, expertise, and common values. Values included the desire for strong family bonds, teaching faith, closely guided social interaction, and responsive pedagogy. Home educators believed that public schooling cannot meet those values. Implications suggest the need for more empirical research exploring how the culture of homeschool groups shapes the development of its members, and additionally, what public education can learn from these alternative educational models.

Confucian home education in China

Home education, in particular Confucian home education, has been increasing steadily in China over the past decades. However, research relating to home-schooling families has largely been ignored. In particular, the literature grounded in empirical study and focusing on the development of Confucian home education is negligible in the educational context of China. This study places a focus on the influence of Confucian culture and beliefs on the development of home education in China, which is now attracting scholarly interest and public attention. It provides in-depth information regarding the status of Confucian home education, the motivation to undertake Confucian home education, teaching content, teaching methods and its outcomes. It is found that Confucian values and beliefs fit well with the model of home education in China in terms of the relationship between family, education, moral development and society.

Exploring the use of texting to support family-school engagement in early childhood settings: teacher and family perspectives

ABSTRACTNew technologies offer exciting opportunities for improving home-school communication, family engagement, and children’s learning in early childhood. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study focused on understanding how texting might enhance family-school engagement in early childhood settings. Using focus groups and surveys of teachers (n = 20) and family members (n = 30) in an urban early childhood programme in the eastern United States, we examined the nature of current communication (including texting) between school and home, openness among teachers and families to the idea of sending or receiving home-school communication via text, and beliefs among teachers and families about how texting can support various aspects of family-school engagement. Results suggest that many teachers and families are enthusiastic about using texting and view texting as a tool to further family-school engagement and communication and to enhance child outcomes.

How I started home schooling: founding stories of mothers who home school their children

Home schooling has become increasingly widespread in recent decades. Much research has been conducted regarding different aspects of the practice, including parents’ reasons for choosing home schooling. These are often quantitative studies that directly examine these reasons and frequently cite rational reasons. In contrast, the present research is a qualitative study that examined stories in order to understand the initial reasons underlying the decision of parents to educate their children at home. An analysis of interviews with 25 mothers who home school their children yielded numerous reasons for home schooling, including some that have not been cited in the research literature. Unlike previous studies, the present examination indicated two categories: rational, deliberate change and arbitrary change. The use of open research tools that indirectly inquire about the reasons for choosing home schooling enabled the identification of a second category, arbitrary change. The implications of these results for researchers of home schooling, home-schooling families and policy-makers are discussed.

A Dance of Organized Chaos: Using a Village to Run a Children’s Program

I found myself laughing at the baffled faces of my library volunteers the first morning of our newly formed preschool reading time, Destination Library Tails.I warned them that we would have a lot of people show up. These two volunteers had jumped at the chance to head an ongoing preschool reading time—one that could take place in the morning for parents with small children and for homeschool families. I was thrilled to have someone in the community who cared enough to dedicate two days a month to providing this service, especially because it would be an ongoing program. I just needed them to trust me when I said a lot of kids would show up.

A Review of research on Homeschooling and what might educators learn?

This article reviews research on homeschool learner outcomes and then focuses on one study and one conceptual theme related to both home education and schooling in general. It synthesizes research on learner outcomes related to homeschooling in areas of students’ academic achievement, children’s social, emotional, and psychological development, and the success of adults who were home educated. The summary finds generally that positive outcomes on a variety of variables are associated with homeschooling. The first special focus is one study on African American homeschooling families that explores the parents’ reasons for homeschooling and their Black children’s academic achievement. The second particular focus is the issue of whether compulsory school attendance laws are necessary in light of the findings of research on teacher preparation and certification in state/public schools and three decades of research on modern homeschooling.

Educational activities and the role of the parent in homeschool families with high school students

Using a qualitative case study approach, this study looked at the educational activities that constitute a typical day in a homeschool family and the role that the parent has within those activities. Three homeschooling families with high school students in a single community in a southern state in the United States participated in the case study. Data was collected using observations, field notes, interviews and artifacts. Analysis of the data pointed to an eclectic mix of instructional modalities and activities used by families. Students often participated in a variety of instructional activities such as online courses, private tutors, and self-taught classes through the use of a flexible daily schedule. Parents were seen to be more of a facilitator or director of educational activities for their children rather than the direct providers of instruction in the homeschool setting.

An Investigation Of Factors Impacting The Use Of Technology In A Home School Environment

Home school populations have been studied for socialization and academic preparedness, but there are few studies on the use of technology among home schooled families. One researcher, in studying technology use among home school families in the greater Albany, New York area, found that the use of technology had a positive influence on the decision to home school and to allow home school families to create and maintain groups of like-minded home schoolers in their quest to educate their children. The objectives of this study are to understand what technologies are being used by home school families and about perception of technology in four areas of technology usage: 1) to build social networks, 2) acquire and share knowledge, 3) administrative actions and 4) instructional activities. This research shows that when technology is perceived as easier to use, it will lead to perceived usefulness, at a higher significance than leading to actual use. Further, it was surprising that the models did not show perceived usefulness leading to actual use, which is indicated in the literature.

Beyond the brick walls: Homeschooling students with special needs

The percentage of children with special needs receiving academic instruction at home has substantially increased since a resurgence of homeschooling during the 1990s. In light of this information, the purpose of this article was to provide an overview of the history and laws related to homeschooling, the characteristics of homeschool families, and the relevant issues that parents of children with disabilities encountered when choosing to homeschool. This is followed by a discussion of the reasons parents chose to homeschool their children with special needs, as well as the current state of research on homeschooling students with disabilities. Finally, suggestions related to homeschooling students with disabilities were made for future researchers, parents, and public school educators.

Examining Claims of Family Process Differences Ensuing From the Choice to Home-School

Advocates of home-schooling claim a variety of positive educational and familial outcomes. Research is needed to examine possible effects of home-schooling on family relationships. We investigated family environment differences between home-schooling and public-schooling families matched in terms of family-centric orientation. Family cohesion was measured using FACES III, and parent–adolescent interaction styles were measured using the Interaction Styles Profile, an instrument formulated for limited research use by the second author based on previous work done with family interaction styles. Mothers, fathers, and adolescent students in 38 public-schooling and 35 home-schooling families completed the measures. The potential confound of preexisting values and commitment to highly cohesive, emotionally connected, cooperative family life in home-schooling families was controlled for by the selection of public-schooling families matched on this variable (family-centric orientation). Family-centric home-schooling families reported statistically significant, but only moderately higher levels of family cohesion and parent–child parallel interaction than family-centric public-schooling families. There were no significant differences between home-schooling and public-schooling families in self-reported symmetrical and complementary interactions. Thus, when controlling for preexisting family-centric orientation, the institution and practice of home-schooling alone appears to produce only moderate (clinically nonrelevant) shifts in family cohesion or positive parallel interaction, suggesting that family-centric families can realize their goals for family cohesion and positive interaction independent of their choice of schooling.

Resisting the Status Quo: The Narratives of Black Homeschoolers in Metro-Atlanta and Metro-DC

Trends suggest that homeschooling continues to increase among black families. Yet, research on contemporary Black homeschooling remains scarce. Given black educational history, the phenomena of Black families choosing homeschooling over public and private schools in the post-Desegregation era is worthy of investigation. Further, documenting the ways in which black homeschool families engage their children in learning will inform the needs of black education in conventional schools, public and private. The phenomenon of increasing black home education represents a radical transformative act of self-determination, the likes of which have not been witnessed since the 1960s and ‘70s. This work highlights the primacy of agency among black homeschooling families. Thus, contrary to the negative depictions of black families as disengaged from the educational pursuits of their children, we evoke hooks's (1990) notion of homeplace to argue that black home education represents a vehicle of resistance to institutionalized racism and ideological mismatches between black families and their children's educational needs.

Declarations of Independence: Home School Families' Perspectives on Education, the Common Good, and Diversity

This study examined the perspectives of home school families regarding the rights, interests, and responsibilities of family and state over education. These families viewed the common good differently than critics of home schooling. They believed the diversity of curriculum and worldview in their home schools positively impacts the common good by increasing the overall diversity of society. These families situated the practice of home schooling within the exercise of religion inserting a Constitutional challenge into the debate over home schooling. The voices of these families, their declarations of independence from the educational norm in our nation, challenge our views of what really is the common good, what diversity we value, and what activities we include in our definition of the free exercise of religion.