Date
5-2019
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
Lucinda Spaulding
Keywords
Homeschool, Gifted Education, Twice-exceptional, Grounded Theory
Disciplines
Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Methods
Recommended Citation
Whitlow-Spurlock, Bridgette, "A Grounded Theory Study of The Educational Processes Implemented by Parents Homeschooling Gifted or Twice-Exceptional Children" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2093.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2093
Abstract
The purpose of this systematic, grounded theory study was to explain the educational processes used by homeschooling families of gifted and twice-exceptional children. For this study, educational processes were defined as instructional methods, curriculum, and structure used by homeschooling parents in the academic development of their gifted and twice-exceptional child. The conceptual framework guiding this study was choice theory developed by William Glasser with the influences of Robert Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence and Kurt Fischer’s dynamic skills theory as these theories explain how choices are influenced by parents’ understanding of their children’s cognitive development, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality within a cultural context. This study sought to answer the question: What are the educational processes that families implement within the homeschool environment in educating their gifted and twice-exceptional children? This systematic grounded theory study was conducted using 14 individual homeschooling parents and one father-mother couple. Participants were recruited through a combination of convenience, snowball, and web-based respondent driven sampling. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire, interviews, a letter of advice, journaling, and memoing. The data was analyzed using open, axial, and theoretical coding procedures. This study resulted in the development of four process models: (a) the process of choosing to homeschool, (b) the process of choosing curriculum, (c) the process of choosing instructional methods, and (d) the process of choosing structure. Additionally, the conceptual framework led to an amalgamation of the theories to develop a new theory: personalized education theory of gifted and twice-exceptional homeschooling.
