Making Sense of Homeschooling Approaches Through Content Analysis

Authors

  • Andrea Lai University of Calgary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v69i3.75433

Abstract

A common problem for new homeschoolers is understanding how to choose and implement specific educational approaches. In response, I conducted a qualitative content analysis on key texts representative of popular homeschooling approaches, including The Well-Trained Mind (classical), Home Education (Charlotte Mason), and Teach Your Own (unschooling); and compared these to current classroom-based learning. This paper finds that classical homeschooling and modern-day classroom teaching are similar; the Charlotte Mason approach is the most varied in teaching methods; and unschooling makes little mention of teaching methods. This report also suggests that homeschooling families can be defined by the teaching methods they regularly employ.

Keywords: homeschooling, teaching method, classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling

Un problème courant pour les nouveaux enseignants à domicile est de comprendre comment choisir et mettre en œuvre des approches éducatives spécifiques. J'ai donc procédé à une analyse qualitative du contenu de textes clés représentatifs des approches populaires de l'enseignement à domicile, notamment The Well-Trained Mind (classique), Home Education (Charlotte Mason) et Teach Your Own (non-scolarisation), et je les ai comparés à l'apprentissage actuel en classe. Cet article constate que l'enseignement classique à domicile et l'enseignement moderne en classe sont similaires, que l'approche de Charlotte Mason est la plus variée en termes de méthodes d'enseignement et que l'approche de non-scolarisation ne mentionne guère les méthodes d'enseignement. Cet article suggère également que les familles qui font l'école à la maison peuvent être définies par les méthodes d'enseignement qu'elles emploient régulièrement.

Mots clés : enseignement à domicile, méthode d'enseignement, classique, Charlotte Mason, non‑scolarisation

Author Biography

Andrea Lai, University of Calgary

Despite having been trained as a public-school teacher and having taught in several countries, Andrea Lai began looking into homeschooling when she was asked about what educational options she had considered for her first child. After realizing she ought not to laugh at something she knew nothing about, Andrea began a deep dive into the topic of homeschooling, making it the focus of her final year completing her M.Ed. at the University of Calgary.

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Published

2023-09-25

How to Cite

Lai, A. (2023). Making Sense of Homeschooling Approaches Through Content Analysis. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 69(3), 322–341. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v69i3.75433

Issue

Vol. 69 No. 3 (2023): Fall

Section

ARTICLES

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