The Experience of Being a Homeschool Mother: A Heuristic Inquiry
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Workshop
Start Date
12-1-2021 10:15 AM
End Date
12-1-2021 10:35 AM
Abstract
The intent of this dissertation was to answer the research question: What is the experience of being a homeschool mother? While the number of homeschool mothers across the globe increases rapidly, research that targets this population fails to keep up, from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Using a heuristic inquiry, 11 co-researchers shared their experience through in-depth interviews and journaling. What the data analysis exposed is that the homeschool mother is dissatisfied with corporate education, she is more concerned with her children’s lifelong learning than their short-term information acquisition, and she has a strong social support. Among the patterns and themes, it became evident that not only does she invest in her own children, but she has a genuine concern for children in general. She is highly adaptive and can quickly recognize when she needs to alter the course and speed of her child’s education. The homeschool mother in this research was also self-reflective, identifying her shortfalls and ensuring that she invests in her relationships with her children; she identified homeschooling as a transformative process. She is rewarded through her teaching and her relationships, yet she also struggles internally with guilt, pressure and self-care. External societal pressures require the need for defense mechanisms, and she is constantly and unashamedly prepared for conflict. Future research should focus on the homeschool mother from more diverse characteristics and backgrounds including those from various cultures, geographies, and socioeconomic statuses. Longitudinal studies should investigate the homeschool mother for a more thorough understanding of her experience.
Keywords
Experience, Homeschool Mother, Heuristic Inquiry
The Experience of Being a Homeschool Mother: A Heuristic Inquiry
The intent of this dissertation was to answer the research question: What is the experience of being a homeschool mother? While the number of homeschool mothers across the globe increases rapidly, research that targets this population fails to keep up, from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Using a heuristic inquiry, 11 co-researchers shared their experience through in-depth interviews and journaling. What the data analysis exposed is that the homeschool mother is dissatisfied with corporate education, she is more concerned with her children’s lifelong learning than their short-term information acquisition, and she has a strong social support. Among the patterns and themes, it became evident that not only does she invest in her own children, but she has a genuine concern for children in general. She is highly adaptive and can quickly recognize when she needs to alter the course and speed of her child’s education. The homeschool mother in this research was also self-reflective, identifying her shortfalls and ensuring that she invests in her relationships with her children; she identified homeschooling as a transformative process. She is rewarded through her teaching and her relationships, yet she also struggles internally with guilt, pressure and self-care. External societal pressures require the need for defense mechanisms, and she is constantly and unashamedly prepared for conflict. Future research should focus on the homeschool mother from more diverse characteristics and backgrounds including those from various cultures, geographies, and socioeconomic statuses. Longitudinal studies should investigate the homeschool mother for a more thorough understanding of her experience.
Comments
This submission is from my dissertation, just completed and published in ProQuest last year.