Ari Neuman

Structured and unstructured homeschooling: a proposal for broadening the taxonomy

Abstract In recent decades, parental involvement in their children’s education has been steadily increasing. Perhaps the ultimate form of parental involvement is the phenomenon called elective home education – EHE (also known as homeschooling). It is customary to divide EHE into two categories according to the degree of structure: structured EHE and unstructured EHE (or unschooling). Advocates of structured learning study in the home framework according to a defined curriculum, whereas unstructured learning advocates study content determined in accordance with the child’s wishes, with no external dictates. This division relates to learning as one entity. This article proposes to distinguish between two dimensions of structure: content and process. In order to demonstrate this distinction, qualitative research was conducted in which 30 mothers who educate their children at home were interviewed and asked what they actually do within the framework of EHE. The research findings suggest that the two types of EHE are indeed different from one another with regard to the structure of the content of instruction and learning as well as the structure of the process. The article addresses the importance of broadening the traditional distinction (structured and unstructured EHE) to include content and process.

Evaluation utilization research—Developing a theory and putting it to use

This article presents the findings of a two-stage study that had two key objectives: to develop a theory about evaluation utilization in an educational organization and to apply this theory to promote evaluation utilization within the organization. The first stage involved a theoretical conceptualization using a participatory method of concept mapping. This process identified the modes of evaluation utilization within the organization, produced a representation of the relationship between them and led to a theory. The second stage examined the practical implications of this conceptualization in terms of how different stakeholders in the organization perceive the actual and preferable state of evaluation utilization within the organization (i.e. to what extent is evaluation utilized and to what extent should it be utilized). The participatory process of the study promoted the evaluation utilization by involving stakeholders, thus giving them a sense of ownership and improving communication between the evaluation unit and the stakeholders. In addition, understanding the evaluation needs of the stakeholders in the organization helped generate relevant and realizable evaluation processes. On a practical level, the results are currently shaping the evaluation plan and the place of evaluations within the organization.

Schools and emotional and behavioral problems: A comparison of school-going and homeschooled children

ABSTRACT Much attention has been focused recently on the deepening crisis in the education system. Researchers have attributed these problems to the school environment. One method for examining this claim is to compare specific emotional and behavior problems among children who attend schools and children who do not. This study examined three aspects of childrens emotional world—emotional and behavioral problems, depression, and attachment security—in a group of children attending school and a group of homeschooled children, matched for socioeconomic background and research procedure. The findings indicated a lower level of depression among the homeschooled children; no difference was found between the groups in attachment security. With respect to emotional and behavioral problems, no difference was found in internalizing problems, but more externalizing problems were found among the school-going than the homeschooled children, in 9–10-year-olds and 11–12-year-olds, but not in 6–8-year-olds.

What are we educating towards? Socialization, acculturization, and individualization as reflected in home education

Abstract This article examines the educational objectives of parents who homeschool (or practice home education) in terms of the widely accepted division of primary educational objectives, namely, socialisation, acculturation, and individualization. Using qualitative methodology and in-depth interviews, 30 homeschooling mothers were interviewed about their educational goals. The findings indicated that a significant number of the objectives cites by the interviewees were associated with the primary objective of individualization. In some cases, parents were interested in achieving goals of socialisation and acculturation in their children’s education. This analysis may help identify the pedagogical ideology of parents who chose to homeschool, thus informing the policy-making. In addition, the case of homeschooling offers an example of the struggle among the three primary objectives of education, against the backdrop of far-reaching changes underway around the world in the post-modern era, which poses a challenge for educational policymakers, as well as school systems.

The clash of two world views – a constructivist analysis of home educating families’ perceptions of education

Abstract Home education is a phenomenon in which children of varying ages are educated at home rather than in a formal school environment. This phenomenon is becoming increasingly widespread throughout the western world. Research in this field is divided between studying pedagogic aspects and holistic aspects of home education. A group of 30 home educating mothers was asked, in semi-structured interviews, to describe the outcome of home education for their children. The findings show the mothers adhere to a social constructivist world view, as shown in the areas they emphasise in the context of the home education outcomes. This article describes the study, presents its findings according to attributes of the constructivist view on educating and learning, and explains the importance of the role these findings have in understanding the home education phenomenon.

Homeschooling Is Not Just About Education: Focuses of Meaning

ABSTRACT This article explores the meanings parents attribute to homeschooling. The literature reveals two main approaches to this subject: a view of homeschooling as a pedagogical practice and a holistic perspective. Employing qualitative methodologies, we administered in-depth interviews to 30 mothers who engaged in homeschooling in Israel, in order to gain a better understanding of what homeschooling meant to them. Analysis of the interviews indicated that the participants attributed diverse meanings to homeschooling. These represented many themes, which were gathered into four super-themes: control, lifestyle, family, and child. The first two themes were emphasized more often than the latter two.

What Makes a Social Encounter Meaningful The Impact of Social Encounters of Homeschooled Children on Emotional and Behavioral Problems

In modern society, a large part of the socialization process occurs in schools. Therefore, one of the most significant questions raised with regard to homeschooling concerns the impact of this type of education on the emotional world of the child. However, there is almost no mention in the research of how the nature of the social activity of homeschooled children affects their emotional world. In the present research, we examined the quantity and character of the social interactions of homeschooled children and their influence on the children’s emotional and behavioral problems. The findings suggested a negative correlation between meetings with other homeschooled children and emotional and behavioral problems, and a similar relationship between the child’s number of siblings and such problems. In comparison, we found a relationship between meetings with school-going children and such problems only in the younger age group, and only with regard to problems of internalization.

Metaphors and education: comparison of metaphors for education among parents of children in school and home education

Abstract Home education is a practice in which parents choose not to send their children to school or public educational frameworks, and to teach them at home instead. This is not new, but in several Western countries the numbers of families home educating has been growing recently. The research on home education has used quantitative and qualitative instruments. One of the qualitative methods employed to learn about the worldviews of research participants is metaphor analysis, in which the interviewees are asked to suggest metaphors for the research subject. However, there is a lack of research on home education using metaphor analysis. The present research compared the metaphors of 15 home educating mothers with those of 15 mothers who sent their children to school. The research findings indicate differences between the groups in the degree to which the metaphors were positive, and different perceptions regarding the nature and functions of education itself.

Who I Am and What I Think: The Contribution of Personality and Socioeconomic Traits to the Attitudes of Homeschooling Parents toward the Education System and Homeschooling in Israel

ABSTRACT The consistent growth of homeschooling in recent decades can be considered a reflection of public criticism of the education system. This criticism has given rise to alternative education methods; homeschooling is one of the most radical examples. In light of the increasing scope of homeschooling and its significant implications, it is important to understand its origins. However, the research on the attitudes of parents who choose homeschooling has not considered the role of personality of parents in their attitudes. The purpose of the present research was to examine the contribution of socioeconomic and personality traits of parents to their attitudes, focusing on neuroticism, openness to experience, and anxiety and avoidance attachment styles. The findings indicated that parents’ personality contributed significantly to the explanation of their attitudes; in some cases, this contribution was mediated by their socioeconomic traits.

When I was at school – differences in stories about school told by parents of home-schooled and regular-schooled children

Abstract Home schooling has become increasingly widespread over recent decades in the western world. Since the choice to educate children at home in effect signifies abandonment of the educational system, one may assume that parents’ childhood experiences within the educational system play a significant part in their decision to opt for home schooling. The present study takes a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to investigating the choice in favour of home schooling and compares the childhood memories of school reported by 28 mothers of home-schooled and regular-schooled children. Data were analysed in three stages – determining the nature of the experience; performing a thematic analysis; and arranging the themes into groups of meta-themes. Six interviewees reported an entirely positive experience; 6 reported an entirely negative experience; and 16 reported a mixed experience. Analysis of the text revealed 30 themes, which were grouped into five meta-themes: treatment, attributes, teachers, studies and social relations.