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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 three items this month, on homeschooling research itself; homeschooling demographics; and homeschooling during COVID:
(1) The Year-by-Year Primary and Secondary Education Histories of Homeschooled Individuals and the Implications for Empirical Homeschooling Research — A. Cheng (2024)
Abstract: Many scholars have correctly noted the difficulty of obtaining representative samples of the homeschooling population. Empirical research about homeschooling, therefore, has predominantly relied on convenience samples which lack the external validity that enables one to generalize the findings to other segments of the homeschooling population. Unbiased inferences about the whole of the homeschool population have consequently been difficult to acquire (Kunzman & Gaither, 2022). For instance, empirical findings of college-educated homeschoolers or those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds might not generalize to other populations of homeschoolers (Cheng, 2014; Ray, 2009). Nor might findings about homeschooling families who rely on a structured curriculum or pedagogy generalize to homeschooling families who take an unstructured approach (Green-Hennessy, 2014; Martin-Chang et al., 2011).
However, homeschooling research that relies on cross sectional data sets overlooks the possibility that individuals switch into and out of homeschooling from year to year. In data sets where multiple years of an individual’s educational history are available, entry into and exit out of homeschooling can be observed, but it then becomes less clear who should be considered a homeschooler in the data. Should an individual be considered a homeschooler if he only spent one year in that setting? Or should an individual be considered a homeschooler if she spent a majority of her years in that setting? Does the point at which an individual begins or stops homeschooling matter? How conclusions can be drawn about homeschoolers if samples comprise individuals who vary in amount of time they are exposed to homeschooling or when they start or cease homeschooling?
The purpose of this research note is not to argue for decision rules that will answer those questions. Instead, the purpose of this research note is to empirically document the variation in the amount of time homeschooled individuals are homeschooled throughout their primary and secondary education and to examine the nature of entry into and exit out of homeschooling. Exactly how much variation exists will have a bearing on how researchers are to understand the homeschooling population.
(2) How Do Demographic Characteristics of Homeschooling Households Influence the Way Homeschooling is Practiced? — A. Cheng & A. Watson (2024)
Abstract: The legitimization of homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of new schooling models (i.e., hybrid homeschooling) potentially change the composition of homeschooling families and the way homeschooling is practiced. This study establishes pre-pandemic trends of the demographic composition of U.S. households who homeschool their children. This study also articulates a theory that the way families practice homeschooling is based on practical constraints imposed by household demographic characteristics and, to a lesser extent ideological reasons. These theories are empirically tested using the 2012, 2016, and 2019 waves of the National Household Education Survey and a sample of 1,468 homeschooling families. Findings indicate that homeschooling families demographically differ from other families in key ways such as a greater likelihood of one parent not participating in the labor force. However, homeschoolers are demographically similar to other families in many other ways. Findings also indicate that specific household characteristics such as family structure, labor force participation, and parents’ educational background are associated with how long a child is homeschooled and the resources families use to homeschool their children. Implications for more accurately describing the composition of homeschooling families and how they practice homeschooling are discussed.
(3) Long-Term Mandatory Homeschooling during COVID-19 Had Compounding Mental Health Effects on Parents and Children — L.V.M. Groff et al. (2024)
Abstract: Background/Objectives: Most studies have linked mandatory homeschooling during COVID-19 to mental health harm in parents and children, while a minority have found non-significant or beneficial effects. Past studies have not measured mandatory homeschooling continuously over an extended period; consequently, they could not capture compounding mental health effects, which may explain conflicting results. We asked whether children’s cumulative time spent homeschooled during COVID-19 school closure mandates caused compounding harm for parent and child mental health, and whether parent employment, child internet access and educational support from schools (live and pre-recorded online classes, home learning packs) impacted this relationship. We aimed to identify the families at greatest risk of mental health harm during mandatory homeschooling and the educational support that may have mitigated this risk. Methods: Couples completed retrospective, cross-sectional survey questionnaires assessing parent depression, anxiety and stress, child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and the family’s homeschooling experience. Data were analyzed using mediation analysis total effects, ordinary least squares regression and simple slopes analysis. Results: Both parents and children experienced compounding mental health harm during mandatory homeschooling. Live online classes protected parents and children, while home learning packs protected children. Unexpectedly, reliable internet access and the employment of both parents placed children at greater risk. Conclusions: Findings suggest that long-term mandatory homeschooling during COVID-19 placed families at greater risk of mental health harm. To protect family mental health during homeschooling mandates, schools should provide children with evidence-based educational support.
What interesting homeschool news and academic research have you come across this Cygnus Term? 🎓
❡ 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 Kunzman & Gaither (2020), “Homeschooling: An Updated Comprehensive Survey of the Research.” 🔎
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