How do homeschoolers approach creative arts learning and how can they be supported? Developing a flexible framework for homeschool contexts

Abstract

Research has identified that creative arts education in homeschooling contexts presents unique challenges. A range of factors contribute to this, including a dearth of home-education-specific support. As such, the development of supporting resources that target the unique needs and approaches of homeschooling parents has previously been recommended. This paper reports on part of a larger Design-Based Research project that consulted with up to 193 homeschooling families with the aim of developing such a support resource, one flexible enough to reflect the diversity of approaches across homeschooling contexts. The phase of the research reported here sought detailed insights into the processes that five families employed when planning and facilitating their childrenʼs arts learning. Through a series of three semi-structured interviews with each family, observations of arts learning episodes in action and arts artefact analysis, each familyʼs approach to arts learning was mapped and analysed for insights into the processes that families employed when planning and actioning arts learning. The outcome of this phase of the project is This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Exploring Homeschooling: In-depth Meta-Analysis of Its Impact on Learning Motivation and Factors Influencing Family Choices

“…Expanding on this topic, a study by Burke (2022) focused on the creative arts teaching and learning practices within the homeschooling community in Australia. This research revealed the growing and diverse nature of homeschooling, emphasizing the importance of providing adequate support and resources for quality education.…”

“…There are a variety of reasons why families decide to homeschool their children, each with its own set of goals and motives. Seven of the 18 studies that have been categorized are mainly concerned with reasons why families choose homeschooling (Choen, 2020;Chase & Morrison, 2018;Cheng & Hamlin, 2023;Burke, 2022;Carlson, 2019;Hartman & Huttunen, 2020;Ng et al, 2021). They explained that homeschooling parents might strive to harmonize their personal beliefs and sentiments with societal norms and practices.…”

“…Moreover, the significant role of creative arts in education is widely acknowledged; they positively influence student motivation by nurturing creativity, critical and innovative thinking skills and fostering cultural and personal awareness (Burke, 2022). In a qualitative study conducted in the United States, Delaney (2014, as cited in Carlson, 2020) discovered that different families had different reasons for homeschooling, such as discontent with traditional education, concerns about the school atmosphere, and a desire for individualized instruction.…”

“…According to McCabe et al (2021), a primary motivation for parents opting for homeschooling is their wish to offer religious or moral guidance and education to their children. Five of the 18 studies primarily discuss the positive effects of home education that appear in the learners' feelings and social interactions (Chase & Morrison, 2018;Cheng & Hamlin, 2023;Burke, 2022;Hartman & Huttunen, 2020;Davies, 2015). Chase and Morrison (2018) pointed to the findings indicating that adolescents engaged in various social encounters enhanced their social skills, happiness, and self-assurance.…”

“…Through an increasing dependence on internet resources and digital learning methods due to reduce in-person interaction with peers, homeschooled students might experience altered social dynamics. Social interaction approaches in homeschooling exhibit diversity due to their varied pedagogical nature, tailored uniquely to each household (Burke, 2022). In homeschooling, the focus on solid parent-child bonds and a positive atmosphere creates a supportive space for social interaction.…”