LEARNING AT HOME: A PHENOMENOLOGY EXAMINING THE PERCEPTIONS OF HOMESCHOOLING PARENTS REGARDING THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN by Jennifer Doke Kerns A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Dissertation Committee: Robyn Cooper, Ph.D., Chair Lyn Brodersen, Ph.D. Catherine Gillespie, Ph.D. Dean of the School of Education: Janet M. McMahill, Ph.D. Drake University Des Moines, Iowa 2016 Copyright © Jennifer Doke Kerns, 2016. All rights reserved. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. vi DEDICATIONS ........................................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................x LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................4 Statement of Purpose ...........................................................................................................6 Research Questions ..............................................................................................................6 Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................7 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................7 Microsystem .................................................................................................................9 Mesosystem ..................................................................................................................9 Exosystem ....................................................................................................................9 Macrosystem ................................................................................................................9 Chronosystem ...............................................................................................................9 Microsystems of the Homeschooled Child ........................................................................11 Exosystems of the Homeschooled Child ...........................................................................12 Macrosystems of the Homeschooled Child .......................................................................13 Researcher Positionality.....................................................................................................13 Definitions of Key Terms and Acronyms ..........................................................................15 Summary ............................................................................................................................17 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................19 The Historical Foundation of American Education ...........................................................19 The Emergence of the Common School and Compulsory Attendance Laws ....................22 Twentieth Century Emergence of Homeschooling ............................................................23 John Holt: Early Homeschooling Advocate ...............................................................25 The Emergence of the Conservative Homeschooling Movement .....................................26 The Moores .................................................................................................................27 Christian Conservative Homeschooling .....................................................................28 Home School Legal Defense Association ..................................................................30 The Politics of Homeschooling ..................................................................................31 Demographics of Homeschoolers ......................................................................................35 Regulation of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment ...................................................37 Arguments against Homeschooling Regulation.........................................................42 Current Regulation .............................................................................................................45 Homeschooling and Child Development ...........................................................................46 Social Development ...................................................................................................47 Emotional Development ............................................................................................48 Cognitive Development ..............................................................................................48 Homeschooling Data ..........................................................................................................49 The Cardus Education Survey ...................................................................................49 iii Rudner’s “Home Schooling Works!” ........................................................................50 Ray’s “Academic and Demographic Traits of Homeschool Students” .....................51 Summary ............................................................................................................................53 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................54 The Qualitative Approach to Research ..............................................................................54 Philosophical Assumptions and Research Design .............................................................55 Epistemology ..............................................................................................................55 Theoretical Perspective: Social Justice Theory .........................................................56 Methodological Approach .................................................................................................57 Epoche and Bracketing ..............................................................................................58 Phenomenological Reduction ....................................................................................59 Imaginative Variation ................................................................................................60 Synthesis of Meanings and Essence ..........................................................................61 Applying Moustakas Principles to this Study ............................................................61 Research Setting.................................................................................................................61 Participants and Sampling..................................................................................................62 Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................................64 Interviews ...................................................................................................................64 Rapport .......................................................................................................................67 Recording and Storing Data .......................................................................................67 Document analysis, Audiovisual materials, and Observation ...................................68 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................68 Institutional Review Board ........................................................................................68 Informed Consent ......................................................................................................69 Confidentiality ...........................................................................................................69 Power Dynamic ..........................................................................................................69 Reporting of Findings ................................................................................................70 Data Analysis and Procedures ...........................................................................................70 Design Issues – Goodness and Trustworthiness ................................................................73 Dependability .............................................................................................................73 Credibility ...................................................................................................................73 Transferability ............................................................................................................74 Confirmability ............................................................................................................74