Homeschool Socialization: Current Research
Homeschooling Socialization: New Post-Pandemic Research Studies Confirm Positive Outcomes
The question of socialization has always occasioned spirited debate in public discourse about homeschooling. Those skeptical of home education argue that homeschooled children are isolated and their ability to integrate into adult society is hindered. In contrast, homeschooling proponents have consistently argued that the homeschooled population is well-socialized and demonstrates no such difficulties.
This is a debate that goes back forty years. There has been quite a bit of ink spilled on both sides of the discussion. However, I was curious if the state of the literature has changed since the pandemic. Perhaps the meteoric rise in home education since COVID-19 has prompted social scientists to revisit this issue of homeschool socialization. I was not disappointed. Two new studies from Ruth Leiter (2022) and Dan Hamlin and Albert Cheng (2023) once again tackle the question of homeschooling socialization, both with conclusions favorable to homeschoolers.
Socialization Within Homeschooling
Socialization Within Homeschooling is a doctoral dissertation authored by Ruth Leiter of Walden University’s College of Education and Human Sciences. Leiter tackles the question of how one even measures socialization, which is often a very subjective concept. She notes that, while this issue has been thoroughly studied, little research has been done on the actual socialization practices of homeschool families—on what socialization actually looks like concretely. Leiter applies psychologist Richard Medlin’s three criteria of socialization (social activity, influence, and exposure) as a framework to assess homeschool socialization. Through a series of interviews with homeschooling families, she deduced several “emergent themes”:
1) Parents perceived homeschooling provides their children with the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life.
2) Homeschooling creates community and culture that lends children insight into relationships outside the family.
3) These efforts foster children’s self-development and self-directedness.
4) Homeschooling families chose strategies for organized socialization experiences and encouraged organic socialization.
All in all, Leiter argues that fears about maladjusted homeschooled children are stereotypes not born out by actual research. Leiter’s dissertation can be read online in its entirety at the Walden University website.
Homeschool, Social Isolation, and Life Trajectories
A major study was conducted by Daniel Hamlin of the University of Oklahoma and Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas, entitled Homeschool, Social Isolation, and Life Trajectories. Like Ruth Leiter, Hamlin and Cheng were interested in bringing more objectivity to the question. While noting that previous studies were generally positive about the socialization of homeschooled children, the researchers noted that these studies were all generated from self-reports of homeschooling parents and their children. Was there a way to assess the question in a more objective manner that did not rely on self-reporting?
Hamlin and Cheng decided to focus their study on the life and social outcomes of adults who had been homeschooled; e.g., higher education, income and employment, marital status, mental health. etc. By studying the life trajectories of homeschooled adults, the researchers reasoned they could come to a more objective analysis of the question. Hamlin and Cheng presented their findings at a conference held at Harvard Kennedy School in 2023. Their study found that, although there was sometimes a bit of a “culture shock” transitioning from the homeschooled world to adult life, the study’s participants were doing well socially, with some even attributing their thriving to having been homeschooled. In adulthood, participants were generally well connected in later life and active in mainstream institutions. They did not demonstrate any statistically relevant discrepancies in college experience, marriage, or employment.
The presentation of Hamlin and Cheng can be viewed in Power Point form from the Harvard Kennedy School. The Kennedy School’s conference was also covered positively by HSLDA, which lauded the study’s focus “on facts, not fiction.”
Conclusion: Your Kids Will Be Fine!
These post-pandemic studies have both focused on narrowing the lens of how socialization is quantified. Leiter focused on explicitly social activities, while Hamlin and Cheng analyzed adult life outcomes. Both studies concluded that homeschooled children, in general, could be considered well-socialized by any objective standards. I’m sure this isn’t news to most homeschool families. We’ve known all along that the socialization protest is just a boogeyman. Still, it is nice to see our experiences backed up, once again, by the research.
Do you have tips or questions about homeschool socialization? I invite you to join me and other homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group!
