Cases that address the issue of home schooling are summarized in this report. Organized chronologically, each case description includes quoted material from the court ruling. Issues involve parent actions regarding compulsory student enrollment, parent qualifications for home teaching, student certification, church-state separation, constitutional…

Americans tend to value bigger as better. Conventional wisdom over the years has dictated that "too small" schools and school districts could not provide sufficient educational opportunities. Since 1930, the number of school districts has shrunk from 128,000 to less than 16,000. As districts consolidate, parents feel distant from schools and…

This study examined factors related to intrinsic motivation for learning and psychological need fulfillment in the home-school setting. Participating in the study were 60 families who home-schooled at least 1 child between ages 6 and 16. Families were recruited directly at meetings of home-schooling groups in Massachusetts. Parents were…

A study examined the possible differences in home training received by Hispanics and Anglos, the development of particular problem-solving styles as a result of home training, and possible differences between Hispanics and Anglos in problem-solving styles. A questionnaire was used to investigate home teaching style, actualization of…

This document provides an overview of home schooling in the United States that sets the context for a discussion of state regulation of home-schooling parents. The focus is on the nature and variety of statutes and regulations regarding home-schooling. The use of parents as teachers is discussed. Several generalizations concerning major…

The rural Australian recession resulting from lower commodity prices and poor weather conditions raised concerns about how people were coping in the bush. A survey was distributed to all grazing properties in 10 shires of central western Queensland. Of 1,050 surveys distributed, 223 were returned representing 284 families and 914 individuals.…

A survey was conducted to determine why parents in Kentucky who homeschool their children chose homeschooling and what they considered the advantages to be. Responses received from 69 homeschooling parents showed that they chose homeschooling because of religion, social factors, and a desire for high achievement. They see both advantages and…

The Theory of Reasoned Action was used to ascertain students' salient beliefs, correlations between constructs in the theory, relative weights of the determinants of intention, and the effect of type of schooling, gender, and grade level on the determinants of intention. This exploratory study generated baseline information and used correlational…

Observations and interviews conducted in three different series over an 18-month period provided data about the operation of one family's home school. When combined with data from observations conducted in two other home schools, the information led to a number of conclusions concerning both potential strengths of home schools as learning…

This study examined teaching methods used by homeschooling families. Interviews were conducted with parents from three homeschooling families who used a variety of teaching methods. Researchers collected information on children's ages, number of years of homeschooling, teaching methods, and curriculum choice. Respondents described how they chose…

This paper discusses MIKSIKE, an interdisciplinary study program integrating Web technology designed to serve elementary schools and home-schooling families. Developed by a small Estonian company, MIKSIKE is divided into cross-curricular study cycles that last 3 to 5 weeks. The online program works with a standard Web browser and has three areas:…

Issues surrounding parental decisions to privatize their children's education are examined in this paper, which focuses on three issues: (1) the declining credibility of state-sponsored education; (2) the nature and causes of privatized education as a viable alternative; and (3) the context in which this option occurs. The first section discusses…

In view of the fact that in the past decade parents have increasingly begun to educate their children at home, this paper aims to provide an overview of home schooling in the United States. The paper reviews the history of home schooling, describes the characteristics of families involved in home schooling, and discusses the future of home…

A Russian woman describes how living in remote Kamchatka helped her develop an aboriginal perspective. Chopping wood, hauling water, gathering food, alternately homeschooling her children and sending them to an ecological school, and interacting with local aboriginal people taught her the importance of conserving natural resources and living in…

This paper discusses the use of technology by families who home school. Issues addressed include the extent of home schooling in the United States, the use of computers by home school families; how the home-schooling parent learns to teach; how the parent helps children learn, including a discussion of unit studies; whether fathers as well as…