Date
4-17-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Holly Eimer
Keywords
homeschool, home-based learning, individualized education, Christian education, instructional design
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Holmes, Stephanie Banning, "Instructional Design of Christian K-12 Homeschool Families in Central North Carolina: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5350.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5350
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the instructional design approaches for Christian kindergarten through grade 12 homeschool families in central North Carolina. The theory guiding the study was Jerome Bruner’s cognitive development theory of instruction, focusing on knowledge construction and a spiralized approach to learning. As a hermeneutic phenomenological study, the qualitative methodology utilized 12 Christian North Carolina parents of kindergarten through grade 12 home-based learners. Data collection came from a triangulated method of individual interviews, focus group interviews, and writing prompts. Multiple phases of analysis created synthesized themes as the raw data described the lived experiences of the phenomena. The four themes presented within the study are (a) a conviction to homeschool, (b) a focus beyond academics, (c) individualized instruction, and (d) knowing the student. The results of this study corroborated several relevant studies in the field of home-based learning, as the implications provided commonalities of a preference for aligning content with a biblical worldview, separation from public or traditional learning, preferring to offer an individualized approach per student based on their needs, and ensuring that academics expanded beyond traditional learning content to include necessary life skills.
