Understanding Why Parents Homeschool: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Parental Involvement, Homeschooling, Systematic ReviewAbstract
Homeschooling practice relies heavily on the involvement of parents. Parents are the main, and sometimes, the only facilitators of the child’s education. There is a relative lack of systematic review articles covering and synthesizing parental involvement in children’s homeschooling. To address this gap, this paper, as a systematic review, aims to identify and synthesize the empirical studies that are concerned with parental involvement in children’s homeschooling. It is dedicated to answering the question: “What are the parents’ reasons of involvement in children’s homeschooling?” Literature was retrieved from three online databases through an intensive search of related terms which then underwent a thorough selection process to only include relevant studies for the review. The results from the systematic reviews indicate that parents’ reasons for involvement in their children’s homeschooling emerge during two distinct periods: the initial decision to homeschool and the ongoing experiences of parents throughout the homeschooling process. Each period encompasses elements which explain the parents’ reasons for involvement in the children’s education. These elements reflect different dimensions of involvement in the homeschooling setting.
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