{"title":"Homeschooling in a digital age: How digital technologies can help children foster a love for (self-directed) lifelong learning","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s11159-023-10041-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Opting to homeschool children is a growing trend worldwide. However, surprisingly, there is a dearth of research on understanding how digital technologies are used by learners who opt for homeschooling. Thus, in the present study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten homeschoolers in the United States to examine: (1) how digital technologies are being used; (2) why these technologies are being used to support learning; and (3) what digital technologies are being used. Thematic analysis revealed that homeschooled children used a wide array of digital technologies to support their learning. Children’s learning projects commonly stemmed from their interaction with the real world, and a good portion of their learning was self-directed. Digital technologies afforded children access to specific materials and enabled them to collaborate with other learners. Perhaps most importantly, the homeschoolers reported a love for (self-directed) lifelong learning. They tended to learn in a self-directed and autonomous manner, and they commonly used digital technologies constructively and productively.</p>","PeriodicalId":47056,"journal":{"name":"INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF EDUCATION","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF EDUCATION","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-023-10041-x","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Opting to homeschool children is a growing trend worldwide. However, surprisingly, there is a dearth of research on understanding how digital technologies are used by learners who opt for homeschooling. Thus, in the present study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten homeschoolers in the United States to examine: (1) how digital technologies are being used; (2) why these technologies are being used to support learning; and (3) what digital technologies are being used. Thematic analysis revealed that homeschooled children used a wide array of digital technologies to support their learning. Children’s learning projects commonly stemmed from their interaction with the real world, and a good portion of their learning was self-directed. Digital technologies afforded children access to specific materials and enabled them to collaborate with other learners. Perhaps most importantly, the homeschoolers reported a love for (self-directed) lifelong learning. They tended to learn in a self-directed and autonomous manner, and they commonly used digital technologies constructively and productively.
期刊介绍:
The International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning (IRE) is edited by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, a global centre of excellence for lifelong learning and learning societies. Founded in 1955, IRE is the world’s longest-running peer-reviewed journal of comparative education, serving not only academic and research communities but, equally, high-level policy and practice readerships throughout the world. Today, IRE provides a forum for theoretically-informed and policy-relevant applied research in lifelong and life-wide learning in international and comparative contexts. Preferred topic areas include adult education, non-formal education, adult literacy, open and distance learning, vocational education and workplace learning, new access routes to formal education, lifelong learning policies, and various applications of the lifelong learning paradigm.Consistent with the mandate of UNESCO, the IRE fosters scholarly exchange on lifelong learning from all regions of the world, particularly developing and transition countries. In addition to inviting submissions from authors for its general issues, the IRE also publishes regular guest-edited special issues on key and emerging topics in lifelong learning.