| This study examined the impact of home education, or homeschooling, on the development process of intellectually gifted individuals. Emerging from the literature review of early familial and educational experiences of eminent individuals, parental involvement, and home education itself, this exploratory, qualitative multiple-case study employed as its conceptual framework the work of Bronfenbrenner (1970) and Coleman and Hoffer (1987), and talent, and Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's (1995) causal and specific process model of parental involvement. Focusing on the impact of the environmental factors delineated by Gagne of surroundings (both familial and sociological), persons, undertakings, and significant events, four individuals, ages 19–28, completed detailed researcher-designed questionnaires and participated in individual, recorded face-to-face interviews. Focusing on the parental involvement decision, form, mechanisms, and tempering variables delineated by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, each of the parents of the four individuals also completed detailed researcher-designed questionnaires and participated in individual, recorded interviews. Analyses within-case yielded emergent themes; analyses across cases yielded potential patterns. Unanticipated findings, issues, intersection of theories, and conclusions were presented. |
