Homeschooling: What do we know and what do we need to learn?

Abstract

In this article, we identify approaches for understanding more thoroughly the academic and social experiences of homeschooled students. The growth of the homeschooling movement in the United States, questions about the need for additional regulation, and the importance of high-quality education for children motivate this scholarly effort. We begin by defining homeschooling and outlining why it is a topic worthy of study. Next, we describe who is homeschooled, motivations for homeschooling, and ways parents engage in homeschooling. Preliminary evidence suggests that homeschoolers perform equal to or better than their conventionally schooled peers on measures of achievement and socioemotional functioning, but methodological limitations, especially selection effects, make it premature to draw definitive conclusions. Throughout the article, we offer suggestions for advancing knowledge on homeschooling.