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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 for the month, on homeschooling and disability; deciding to homeschool; and homeschooling and technology:
(1) Homeschooling Choices Among Families of Children With Disabilities Versus Without Disabilities — L. Barnard-Brak & C. Kudesey (2025)
Abstract: We examined homeschooling choices of families with and without disabilities using a large, nationally representative sample of families from the 2019 National Household Education Survey. There were slightly more students with disabilities in homeschooling settings versus traditional or non-homeschooling settings. In the current study, we examined the distinction between first-choice homeschooling families who initially chose homeschooling versus second-choice homeschooling families who did not initially chose homeschooling comparing students with and without disabilities. Students with disabilities were approximately 16% of the first-choice homeschoolers and 36% (over one-third) of the second-choice homeschoolers. First-choice homeschoolers rated quality special education services as more important and more satisfied with communication regarding special education services than second-choice homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers.
(2) A Study of the Parental Decision to Homeschool — L. Cheung (2025)
Abstract: This phenomenological qualitative study provides context and understanding of why parents choose to homeschool their children using Rational Choice Theory as the framework. As of 2024, while there is quantitative data that breaks the reasons why parents homeschool down into several categories, scholars often criticize these data for being poorly done because these studies lack context. There have also been many qualitative studies that investigate certain reasons why parents homeschool, but almost all of them do not use a decision-making framework nor were they studying the decision-making process on why parents choose homeschooling. The literature has shown that parents homeschool for various reasons because they have a desire to provide the best education possible for their children. This study refers to this desire as parental goals. These parental goals are categorized in this study as personal factors, resource limitations, societal norms, and perceived risks/benefits. Through Rational Choice Theory as a framework, this study provided much needed context into the decision-making process that parents use when considering the variety of reasons for homeschooling.
This study found that parents are choosing to homeschool for the level of freedom it gives them, the context to invest in and nurture the relationships with people around them, the assurance that they are protecting their children physically, emotionally, and ideologically, the trade-off of access to barriers is favorable in their situation, and the validation and confidence instilled in them through others or from their own self. Some participants felt compelled to homeschool, not because they ever planned to, through circumstances out of their control which led to choosing homeschooling out of desperation or because the other options became undesirable. In this case, the rationale for starting to homeschool is different from their reason for continuing to homeschool. It is the hope that this study can bring more color to the conversation around school choice so that educators, lobbyists, and policymakers have more knowledge to meet the needs of a growing population that is opting out of the public school system.
(3) Homeschooling and Online Learning Technologies From a Parent’s Perspective — K.M. Forti (2025)
Abstract: The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational research study was to examine the relationship between homeschooling parents’ use of educational technology tools and their instructional behaviors and perceptions, with additional consideration of virtual school participation. Survey-based data from 22 parents of over 40 homeschooled children were used to examine technology adoption and instructional preferences across non-traditional learning settings. The study addressed four research questions through descriptive statistics and correlational analysis, while quantitative themes from open-ended responses enriched the findings. Results provided insight into parental motivations and trends influencing homeschooling and virtual school choices, highlighting the expanding role of online learning technologies in K–12 distance education.
This investigation also analyzed educational theories that support individualized learning models. Mason’s self-directed learning model reinforced parents’ preference for flexible instruction. Montessori’s emphasis on child-led exploration was reflected in the 63.6% of participants utilizing self-paced technologies. Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural framework supports the age-appropriate and collaborative problem-solving strategies reported among homeschoolers.
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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