According to Steven Duvall, HSLDA’s director of research, a new long-term study adds to growing evidence that homeschooling effectively prepares students to take their place in society as responsible adults.
The study surveyed 12,000 students annually for 11 years. The students were chosen because each had at least one parent who works as a nurse; they attended a variety of schools and about 200 (1.6%) were homeschooled.
Among other key findings, the study showed that compared to students who attended public and private schools, homeschool students were more likely to attend religious services, volunteer, and forgive.
Questions Raised
The study suggested that, compared to their peers, homeschool students may show a higher level of symptoms related to traumatic stress. Duvall showed that this conclusion is based on a faulty interpretation of data collected through the use of a screening
test that is no longer considered reliable for making diagnoses.
Duvall also advised that the sample of students in the study doesn’t fully reflect the increasingly diverse demographics of homeschooling today. However, he applauds researchers for their efforts in compiling a unique long-term look at the health
and social development of a certain group of students.
He hopes that other researchers can glean helpful insights from this interesting study that can contribute to future projects.