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On the third Tuesday of each month we post a quick roundup of some recent academic publications and news about homeschooling, offered for your interest. These are typically university research papers, and they may have a positive, negative, or neutral outlook on home education. The title links generally point to the full text of each publication, which is often a printable pdf file. In some cases, a paid subscription may be required to read the whole article. The article abstracts or introductions below are quoted in full whenever possible, without editing.
We have four items this month, on Islamic homeschooling; homeschool alumni in Czechia; Christian homeschooling; and homeschool science education:
(1) Harmony of Homeschooling and Islamic Education: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges in the Indonesian ContextΒ β W.L. Hunaida, A.Β Halim, & D.Β HadiyansyahΒ (2024)
Abstract: This study explores innovations and challenges in the integration of Islamic religious education with the homeschooling model in Indonesia, focusing on Homeschooling Kak Seto and Sekolah Murid Merdeka. Using a qualitative approach through case studies, this study involved six homeschooling families and collected data through observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires to 44 parents. The results of the study identified innovations in Islamic education such as the use of technology, active learning, and integrated curriculum development. Homeschooling offers curriculum flexibility, closer family relationships, and teaching religious values ββthat are more in line with family beliefs. However, there are challenges such as lack of child socialization, financial problems, concerns about homeschooling certificates, and difficulty finding the right curriculum. This study provides insight into the opportunities and barriers of homeschooling in Islamic education, and suggests the need for training and policy support for parents who choose homeschooling.
(2) Formerly Homeschooled Young Adults: Self-Reflections on SocializationΒ β Y.Β KosteleckΓ‘ & A.Β BelΓ‘ΕovΓ‘ (2024)
Abstract: This research examines the first generation of homeschooled children in Czechia. Having been homeschooled during the first experimental wave of this practice in the late 1990s, these young adults are now starting their careers and independent lives. We conducted 18 semi-structured interviews and one focus group to explore their perception of the socialisation process they experienced in childhood. Four key agents of socialisation were identified that shaped their lives: the family, the peers they had while being homeschooled, and the schoolmates and teachers they had after they transitioned to a mainstream school. Despite the studyβs limitations, the data show that formerly homeschooled young adults are socially active individuals and that HS does not prevent them from successfully transitioning to further education.
(3) AΒ Case Study of Instructional Design Practices to Promote the Christian Faith and Worldview Within a Homeschool Education ProgramΒ βΒ A.Β Mills (2024)
Abstract: This single case study explored instructional design (ID) practices to promote the integration of Christian faith and worldview within a homeschool education program, aiming to identify gaps in instructors’ knowledge and skills and assess the applicability of the Four-Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) model. The study sought to determine where instructors may need additional support to integrate a Christian worldview into their teaching effectively and whether the 4C/ID model could help address these gaps. Although the 4C/ID model was not directly implemented in the observed setting, its potential as a structured framework for enhancing instructors’ abilities was evaluated.
Data was collected through interviews, observations, and reviews of instructional materials. The findings suggest that the 4C/ID model holds promise as an ID approach for the homeschool program, aligning with many existing instructional practices and offering potential as a training tool for developing instructors’ skills. However, challenges in fully implementing the 4C/ID model, such as adapting it for Kβ12 education and integrating a Christian perspective, indicate the need to modify the model or develop a new ID framework tailored explicitly to Christian homeschooling needs. This study contributes to the limited research on the intersection of a biblical worldview and homeschooling, offering insights that can guide Christian homeschool educators and ID professionals. The insights gained may not be universally applicable, but they provide a valuable foundation for further exploration of integrating faith-based perspectives with educational best practices.
(4) Exploring Science Education Teaching Practices Within the Homeschool Community of West MichiganΒ βΒ A.G. Syers (2024)
Abstract: Parental perception of the importance of science education and parental perceptions and use of active learning and inquiry-based practices in the context of homeschool science education represent a clear gap in the existing literature. This quantitative survey research study was designed to discover, analyze, and quantify parents’ perceptions of the importance of science education and the science education practices used in homeschools across West Michigan through a constructivist framework lens. Using a novel survey instrument specifically designed for this study, a pilot test and subsequent anonymous survey were administered using snowball sampling methodology to collect data to answer three research questions. Data analysis was conducted using MANOVA and Mann-Whitney analyses to identify relationships between variables and the effect sizes of these relationships. No statistically significant effect was found between parental perceptions of the importance of science education and the importance of active learning and inquiry-based practices. However, all study participants ranked active learning and inquiry-based practices as Important or Very Important for their childrenβs homeschool science educations. Parentsβ perception of the importance of constructivist practices, represented by active learning and inquiry-based practices, had a statistically significant, moderate effect size or greater on the frequency of their use of these constructivist practices in their childβs homeschool science education. This study discovered that families who choose to homeschool in West Michigan place strong importance on a constructivist approach. Kβ12 educational leaders and non-formal education practitioners working with families who choose to homeschool should provide curricula or educational experiences that use a constructivist approach to best meet the educational values and priorities of the homeschool population. Future research with qualitative and mixed methods studies designed to identify specific practices and barriers to homeschool science education could further build an understanding of the phenomenon.
What interesting homeschool news and academic research have you come across this Orion Term?Β π
β‘β Explore more: If you’d like to investigate the academic literature on homeschooling more extensively, the best place to start is Google Scholar, the special academic search engine from Google. Just enter a search term or phrase of interest (“homeschool,” “unschooling,” “classical homeschooling,” “deschooling,” etc.), and Google Scholar will return a list of research publications that mention your topic. In addition, for research prior to 2020 in particular, see the comprehensive bibliographic essay by KunzmanΒ & Gaither (2020), “Homeschooling: An Updated Comprehensive Survey of the Research.” π
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