Homeschooling: An Effective Way to Learn
Imagine sitting in front of the computer at your home, and being able to attend classes without having to go to school. This is how homeschooling works. Due to the advancement of Internet technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has become increasingly popular in recent years. In the past, students had to go to school and attend classes. However, with the emergence of homeschooling, students have another option to learn at home. To ensure students' flexibility in learning and time management, we should promote homeschooling instead of traditional learning.
First of all, homeschooling provides a flexible schedule, allowing students to arrange courses according to their own timetable and learning pace. With homeschooling, students do not have to learn specific subjects at specific time, which can help save their unnecessary time, and let them properly allocate time to study what they want to learn. The flexibility of homeschooling also allows students to arrange courses based on their interests, and they can choose suitable teaching materials for themselves. As Chris and Ellen Baird
(2019) point out, "Being in control of their
own schedule promotes self-confidence, independence, and diligence." The flexibility in arranging courses can enhance students’ interest in learning, and also develop their personality, creativity, and competitiveness.
In addition, homeschooling gives students an opportunity to avoid peer pressure and interpersonal problems. Because of continuous exams, some students may feel very anxious in the traditional education system. They are always overwhelmed with homework, peer pressure, and grades. As Arianna Prothero (2016) states, "Ninety-one percent of homeschooling parents said factors such as safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure helped drive them to home school their children." Students may feel frustrated when they find that they cannot fit into the peer group. Under peer pressure, students are likely to lack confidence in themselves, and this can lead to discouragement from learning. Homeschooling can provide students with an environment, which is relatively emotional free and less stressful. They are able to pursue what they like without worrying about other people's opinions.
Although homeschooling benefits students greatly, some people may argue that the efficiency of self-study at home is not higher than that of traditional schooling, and some students may face the problem of being absent-minded when studying at home. Yes, it is possible that some students may not achieve better results through homeschooling. However, the learning situation for each student is quite different, and various factors can lead to an individual’s poor academic performance, merely a small part of them cannot represent all students. According to Brian D. Ray (2017), the majority of academic achievement studies (78%) show that homeschooled students perform remarkably better than traditionally-schooled students. We can clearly see that the learning efficiency of homeschooling is not inferior to that of traditional schooling. Self-study does not need to follow the school schedule, which enables students to find out the parts they do not understand and gradually comprehend them. It can also help students build self-confidence and gain a sense of achievement in their learning.
Based on the perspectives and examples provided above, the benefits of homeschooling include more flexible learning, reduced interpersonal difficulties, and increased learning efficiency. Students should not blindly follow the rigid teaching methods of schools. Instead, they should find appropriate course materials and learning ways that are actually suitable for them. Through learning at home, students can develop creativity, independent thinking skills, as well as responsible attitudes toward their own academic progress. During the process of homeschooling, students can also discover the pleasure of learning, which can lead to greater achievements in their future education and career.
Sources:
Jacqueline Wilson
Flexible homeschool schedule: secret planning tool for homeschool programs
https://homeschoolsuperfreak.com/flexible-homeschooling-schedule/
國際競賽聯盟 (2022) 什麼是 Homeschool？Homeschool有哪些優點、缺點？
https://www.jingsailian.com/news/58501.html
Olga Put (2022) 10 Reasons Why Homeschooling Is Better Than Traditional School
https://www.spanish.academy/blog/10-reasons-why-homeschooling-is-better-than-traditional-school/
References:
Chris, S. and Baird, E. (2019). Our experience with homeschooling. Science Questions with Surprising Answers.
Retrieved from: https://www.wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/mobile/faqs/homeschooling/
Prothero, A. (2016). Why most parents home school: Safety, drugs, and peer pressure, study finds. Education Week.
Retrieved from: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/why-most-parents-home-school-safety-drugs-and-peer-pressure-study-finds/2016/11
Ray, B. (2017). Research facts on homeschooling. National Home Education Research Institute.
Retrieved from: https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/