Recommendations for Homeschooling Studies
It is time to expand homeschooling studies beyond the typical examinations of academic achievement, student socialization, and parental motivation to homeschool. The findings from this study introduced new avenues of inquiry that may be worth pursuing including investigations into the emotionally-charged interactions between parents and students and the lack of writing instruction among some homeschooling families. Based on these discoveries, I would recommend two future studies:
How do students handle these interactions? Are academic subjects dropped due to
tensions between parents and students?
Another valuable homeschooling study could revolve around why some parents do not teach writing. For instance, the study could begin with a brief survey sent to 500+
homeschooling families asking how many homeschooling parents teach writing, how they teach it, and with what frequency it is taught, followed up by a multiple case study of families who do 199 not teach writing. Some questions to be addressed could include the following: What reasons factor into an avoidance of teaching writing?What is the writing self-efficacy of those students who have not been formally taught writing?
