Study Notes on Homeschooling and Special Educational Needs

Abstract

  • Rapid growth of homeschooling over the past two decades forms the context of the study.

  • Examines relation between:

    • Parental involvement in education

    • Special educational rneeds (SEN)

    • School choice option of homeschooling.

  • Data collected through an online survey from 309 homeschooling families.

    • 50.8% had a child who previously attended public or private school.

    • 60.6% were homeschooling a child with SEN.

  • Results indicate when parents perceive unmet needs for SEN in public/private schools, it significantly influences their decision to homeschool.

  • Desire for greater parental involvement rated as the primary reason for homeschooling.

Introduction

  • Homeschooling in America saw a 74% increase from 1999 to 2007 (Planty et al., 2009).

  • Continued growth demonstrated in the 2012 National Household Education Survey, showing 1.77 million K–12 students homeschooled (3.4% of total school-age population).

  • Limited understanding of family motivations to homeschool.

Purpose of the Study

  • To understand parental decisions to homeschool in relation to:

    • Proportion of families who had children enrolled in public/private school before homeschooling.

    • Proportion of families homeschooling a child with SEN.

  • Examine relationship among:

    • School choice history

    • SEN status

    • Parents’ decision to homeschool.

Review of Literature

Theoretical & Conceptual Framework

  • Parental involvement vital for understanding participation in school choice.

    • Vygotsky’s (1978) Developmental Psychology: Highlights mediated activity and parental roles in child development, emphasizing the need for involvement.

    • Social Cognitive Theory explains learning through social interactions influences cognition and areas such as self-efficacy, self-regulation, and self-evaluation (Bandura, 1986).

    • Motivation linked to both parents and children regarding academic involvement (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997).

    • Higher parental self-efficacy leads to increased motivation to engage in their child’s education.

    • Ice and Hoover-Dempsey (2011) showed positive correlation between parental involvement and increases in academic self-efficacy for students.

Parental Roles in Education

  • Two role constructions from Green and Hoover-Dempsey (2007):

    • Parent-focused Role: Involvement driven by beliefs about responsibility for children’s education.

    • Partnership-focused Role: Values partnership with homeschool communities and beliefs regarding appropriate curriculum and practices.

  • Parents’ dissatisfaction with public schools drives motivations to homeschool, particularly for children with SEN.

Literature Gap

  • Limited research on influence of having children with SEN on homeschooling decisions.

  • Studies indicate high percentages of parents with SEN children previously enrolled in public/private schools (Arora, 2006; Parsons & Lewis, 2010).

Special Educational Needs (SEN) Populations

  • Three main groups identified for homeschooling:

    1. High Ability/Gifted Students

    • Jolly et al. (2013) found that most families initially placed their gifted children in schools.

    1. Students with ADD/ADHD

    • Duvall et al. (2004) showed homeschooled students engaged academically more than public school counterparts.

    1. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

    • Hurlbutt (2011) indicated parents feel schools cannot provide necessary treatment for their ASD children.

Purpose of the Study

  • To clarify:

    • Proportional representation of families homeschooling SEN children.

    • Relationships between school choice history, SEN status, and parental decisions to homeschool.

  • Results targeted for understanding trends in homeschooling as a school choice option for families.

Research Questions

  1. Is there a difference in percentages of families homeschooling a child with SEN based on prior school attendance?

  2. How do parents’ perceptions differ regarding factors influencing the decision to homeschool based on prior school attendance?

  3. What differences exist in perceptions of homeschooling decision factors between families with children with SEN and those without?

Methodology

Participants & Setting

  • Study applies descriptive and inferential methodologies.

  • Target population: Families currently homeschooling.

  • Regional focus: Southeastern USA.

  • Online search yielded 16 homeschool support groups with 1,500 estimated families.

  • Invitations sent via email to group leaders for member participation.

Survey Design

  • 33-question survey covering:

    1. Demographic data

    2. Special educational needs incidence

    3. Factors influencing homeschooling decisions.

  • Instrumentation ensured clarity and validity via expert review and pilot-testing with non-group homeschooling families.

Sample Size & Response Rates

  • 333 participants completed the survey; 15.3% did not answer all questions.

  • 50.8% previous public/private school attendance; 49.2% always homeschooled.

Special Educational Needs Categories

  • Based on IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) disability categories.

  • 14 SEN categories recognized, with data showing 54% of responding families homeschooling a child with SEN.

  • Top SEN categories reported:

    1. Other Health Impaired (22.26%)

    2. Intellectually Gifted (21.29%)

    3. Specific Learning Disability (15.16%)

    4. Speech or Language Impairment (15.16%).

Results

Statistical Analysis

  • Utilized SPSS for analyses; Chi-Square, t-tests, ANOVA, and MANOVA to evaluate significant differences.

  • 54% of families reported having a child with SEN.

  • Notably, 60.6% of families who had used public/private schools previously had a child with SEN, versus 43.4% of families who always homeschooled.

Key Findings

  • Parents valuing being involved rated it as the top reason for homeschooling (M = 4.49).

  • Notable difference in perceptions between parents with past school involvement compared to those who always homeschooled on factors such as:

    • Religious/moral instruction

    • Involvement in their child’s learning

    • Importance attributed to the special needs of children.

  • Special Needs considered less important for families who always homeschooled.

  • Statistical significance noted for perceptions related to religious instruction and involvement between groups, contributing to understanding trends in school choice, especially for those with SEN.

Discussion

  • Focus on family decisions to homeschool rather than just individual students.

  • Trends show a significantly higher percentage of families (60.6%) previously utilizing public schools upon deciding to homeschool when there is a child with SEN.

  • Notable discrepancy between parental involvement perceptions and school definitions; homeschooling permits deeper engagement than traditional schooling.

Conclusions

  • Study highlights need for understanding parental concerns about school settings meeting educational needs, especially for children with SEN.

  • Results can inform school administrators and policymakers regarding parental involvement support initiatives.

Future Directions

  • Further research recommended on prevalence of homeschooling among gifted students and those with disabilities like autism and ADHD.

  • Importance of educational environments and community involvement in educational success should also be explored further.

References

  • A comprehensive list of references at the end of the study, including key texts and prior studies about parental involvement, special educational needs, and homeschooling trends to provide context and supporting literature for findings.