Parental autonomy support in children's decision making upon their education and opportunities for diverse social interaction: A case study of homeschooling groups in Dekalb, IL

Lately there have been concerns about the academic and spiritual atmosphere of the public school system in the US, leading some parents to provide alternative educational opportunities for their children. As one of the alternative ways to the public schools, Somerville states that homeschooling has become one of the most flourishing educational reform movements in America. Since many people know little about this alternative to one of society's most fundamental institutions, research on this topic is vital to public understanding.The present study investigated homeschooling groups in DeKalb, Illinois, and addressed three issues prominent in the research literature on homeschooling and child development: first, parental autonomy support for their children to choose as well as make decisions upon their education second, the implications for the children's opportunities for socialization and development of social skills and finally the differences between Christian and secular homeschooling groups in terms of the parental autonomy support and provision of opportunities for the children's social skills.Through interviews and surveys, it was found that homeschooling parents supported autonomy development in their children through strategies oriented to promote independence as well as interventions designed to promote volitional functioning. Additionally, the findings indicated that in DeKalb both Christian and secular homeschooling groups provided various opportunities for the proper development of their children's social skills.