Along many dimensions, homeschooling is increasing, diversifying, and spreading globally. Yet little is known about the motivational climates and teaching strategies parents have adopted to promote academic achievement and motivation within their homes. Working within a self-determination theory (SDT) framework, this study used cluster analysis to examine the naturally-occurring types of learning environments created by 457 homeschool parents. Measures of support for autonomy, mastery goal orientation, and conditional regard were adapted for a homeschool context and used as constituting variables. Follow-up measures of need satisfaction, efficacy, student academic engagement, teaching practices and demographics were used to identify significant differences among groups. A five cluster solution best fit the data: a high need support group, low need support group and three groups of mixed need support. In general, the high need and mixed need support groups were associated with higher student engagement, need satisfaction, efficacy for homeschooling and frequent use of teaching strategies that promote autonomous motivation and support for student competence. The low need support group was significantly associated with lower need satisfaction and teaching strategies associated with control. Higher levels of academic engagement were reported for those students homeschooled longer and at higher grade levels. Male teaching parents (n = 29) reported significantly less need satisfaction and were significantly associated with the low need support group. Taken together, the findings extend self-determination theory to an important, emerging learning context. Results were consistent with findings in SDT research across other domains; thus, lending support to the universality of SDT's main tenets. / Educational Psychology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/770 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Bell, Debra Anne |
| Contributors | Thurman, S. Kenneth, Kaplan, Avi, Schifter, Catherine, DuCette, Joseph P., Richman, Howard (Howard B.) |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 173 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/752, Theses and Dissertations |
Page generated in 0.0023 seconds