Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-21-2024

Keywords

Homeschool; Duration of homeschool; Age of homeschool; Education history

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.

Series Title

EDRE Working Paper

Series Number

2024-05

Download

Share

COinS