The Effects of Physical Education Experiences on Homeschooled Students and Families

Introduction: The number of homeschooled students in the United States continues to rise year after year. In 2011, 3.4% of the school-age population was being homeschooled, which was a jump from 2.9% in 2007 (HSLDA, 2013). A study done by the U.S. Department of Education conducted in 2013 reported that approximately 1.77 million students are homeschooled in the United States (Unit­ed States Department of Education, 2013). Due to these substantial numbers, many students and families are having to find ways to fulfill certain requirements, one of which being physical education. Physical education is a mandated subject in public schools and many private schools; however, many homeschooled students often miss out on these structured and purposeful classes (The General Court, 2015). Fortunately, the recent passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) supports the role of physical education in the public school curriculum and acknowledges physical education as a part of a student’s well-rounded education. Physical education is therefore significant to a child’s overall educational experience. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate how homeschooled students and their families are effected through participation in physical education experiences, including any behavior changes, health changes, increased learning, or derived enjoyment