Informed Consent for Study:
Primary Homeschooling and Teaching Styles Used in African-American Homeschools
Dear Fellow African-American Homeschooler,
My name is Ebony Waller, and I am a three-year homeschooling mother of a little girl. In addition to my homeschooling responsibilities, I am also pursuing my Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Instructional Technology at American Intercontinental University (AIU). Part of my degree requirements is to design, implement, and report on a particular education issue that I am passionate about. I have chosen to do research on African-American homeschooling families, and have therefore, created a survey regarding homeschooling and teaching styles.
You are reading this because you were referred by another homeschooling parent who thought you might be interested in taking part in this research. Please be assured that any information you provide is strictly confidential. In fact, this is the only contact that you will receive from me, and I’d like to thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
As an African-American, homeschooling mom, my own homeschooling style and teaching methods have evolved since the very beginning of my journey. I have gone from setting up a “mini-school” in my home to letting my daughter learn while laying on the floor with a laptop. The more I’ve learned about my own teaching style and the learning style of my daughter, the more relaxed I have been with educating her at home. It is my hope that the results of the survey will enable fellow African-American homeschooling parents to understand the prevalence and differences in homeschooling styles and instructional methods used by other African-American homeschooling parents to support their children.
The goal of my study is to better understand the homeschooling and teaching styles of other African-American homeschooling families, and to determine if those styles are indicative of most homeschooling families, regardless of race or ethnicity. Study findings will be shared with the research faculty at AIU as part of my Master’s thesis. It will also be available to those participants who specifically request a copy of the final study. Results will be reported in a very confidential manner. No individual names will be requested in the survey, nor will they be presented in the final report.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts and complete this survey. The survey should only take about 10-15 minutes, and it would be extremely helpful if you could complete all survey items, particularly those questions which ask for additional comments. If you wish to skip questions, you may do so, and if at any time you wish to discontinue your participation in the survey, simply close your window.
Also, feel free to share this survey with as many African-American homeschooling families as you wish. I welcome comments from families across the country.
If you have any questions or need further information regarding the study, survey instrument, or results, feel free to contact me at 919-866-9071 or via email at Ebony.Waller@student.aiuonline.edu . If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact Dr. Trude Fawson via email at Trude.Fawson@faculty.aiuonline.edu .
Sincerely and with thanks,
Ebony L. Waller