Date
8-29-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Ashley Tharpe
Keywords
parental participation, Christian homeschool co-operative, biblical critical theory, relationships, faith-based community
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Fowler, Emily E., "Parental Participation in a Christian Homeschool Co-opertaive in a State in the Southeastern US: A Single-Case Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7408.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7408
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative, single-case study was to explore parental participation in a Christian homeschool co-operative in a state in the Southeastern US, identified by the pseudonym Hope Homeschool Co-op. Christopher Watkin’s biblical critical theory guided this research, emphasizing how the Bible’s unfolding story centers around a relational God. This study examined the importance of having a Christian community to parents participating in Hope Homeschool Co-op. Using a single-case study approach, data were collected from 14 homeschooling mothers who had enrolled their families in Hope Homeschool Co-op during the 2024-25 academic school year. The Central Research Question asked, “What are the experiences of parents participating in Hope Homeschool Co-op?” All meetings took place at the participant’s homes or a local coffee shop. Participants shared their experiences through individual interviews, physical artifacts, and journal prompts. Whisper Transcription was used to record and transcribe all interviews and journal prompts. All physical artifacts and descriptions were sent via text directly following the interview. Member checking occurred before all data synthesis by texting each participant their transcriptions and receiving their approval. Although patterns and themes were identified and synthesized through notetaking, NVivo software was used to help identify repeated themes and sub-themes. Thematic analysis identified three major themes: Passion for Joining an Explicitly Christian Co-op, the Importance of Communication and Organization, and Participant Desire to Serve the Lord. Lastly, the results revealed the importance of having a faith-based community for Christian homeschooling families.
