Perceptions of Homeschooled Students among US Adult Populations: Implications for School Psychologists

Though homeschooled students comprise more than 2 million of all U.S. grade-school students, little research exists on how they are viewed by the general U.S. population, which has implications for their interactions with public school personnel, including school psychologists. Two studies assessed potential stereotypes. Study 1 participants (N = 182) listed terms associated with a homeschooled student. As predicted, negative topic groupings emerged, including being awkward and sheltered; yet, positive topic groupings also emerged. Study 2 participants (N = 249) read about a fictional student whose reasons for homeschooling were manipulated (religion, safety, parental dissatisfaction, no reason). Compared to a public-school condition, students in all homeschooled conditions were rated lower on positive social characteristics. Implications for school psychologists are discussed.