Home Education Research: On the Right Road?

Overview & Synopsis

A set of concerns related to home education that is infrequently studied, namely, the content and direction of research in education, is examined. Issues surrounding home education have not been given adequate attention. A sample of home education researchers was gathered by compiling a list of authors who had published in the "Home School Researcher." Nineteen of 23 surveyed authors responded with information about themselves and their research. Survey responses indicate that research on home education is being conducted by a fairly diverse group of researchers, most of whom are in education-related occupations. About half of the researchers had not engaged in home education themselves. Much of the research on home education appears to be descriptive rather than experimental or quasi-experimental. No framework exists to unite the efforts of home education researchers. Nearly half of the researchers indicated that they did not maintain an interest in home education research, but those who did suggested several directions for the field. Broad findings demonstrate that researchers in the area can benefit from a critical analysis of practice, models, and perspective. Two tables summarize characteristics of home education researchers and methodology and sampling characteristics. (SLD)