Parents as Teachers: A Case Study of Families' Experience Teaching Elementary Science in a Homeschool Charter School Partnership Program

This study focused on a unique elementary charter school program in rural Hawai’i that partnered teachers with families who would typically homeschool. Little is known about the teaching strategies and educational choices families make while teaching, especially when teaching science. Research on family- teacher partnerships is timely and needed. There is a scarcity of research on homeschool in general, especially on parents or family members as teachers for their children at home. Researchers speculate science is difficult and intimidating for families. The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative sociological case study was to explore the experiences of families, supported by their partnership with a formal educator, as they taught science to their children at home. The data was viewed through the lens of Vygotsky’s theories and thinking on learning. His views are the basis of constructivism, and constructivism is recommended for effective teaching. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, a document review, and video recordings the participants made of themselves teaching science in the home setting. Three adult participants, whose children ranged from kindergarten to grade 5, were selected for the study. This study found that families can be more than consumers of education; they can be valuable partners with teachers in educating their children. Findings indicated the participants were deeply invested in teaching their elementary-aged children, and they especially enjoyed teaching science. They relied heavily on instinct and their close personal relationships with their children when making choices about teaching. The participants consistently demonstrated skillful teaching practices, they employed many constructivist teaching strategies recommended for formal educators, and their teaching aligned closely with Vygotskian thinking on the learning process. These results indicate homeschooling families can instinctively teach well, and automatic skepticism of homeschooling families’ ability to teach is unfounded. Sweeping political changes in American education loom on the horizon, changes that may require families to be deeply involved in decisions about the delivery of their children’s education. This study sheds light on features that shape and affect teaching in the home setting, and it reveals the strengths of family members as teachers. It also reveals aspects of close partnerships between families and educators who work together to support children’s learning. Implications for nurturing partnerships between families and formal education settings such as public, charter, and private schools are discussed in depth. This study also provides useful information for families seeking to learn more about teaching in the home setting, educators interested in developing close partnerships with families of their students, and policymakers wishing to create bridges between different educational pathways.