The experiences of homeschooling parents with mathematics

Homeschooling, where parents take on the prime responsibility for their children's education, is a growing phenomenon in Australia. Homeschooling is different from distance education or the education at home that has taken place in the Covid-19 pandemic in that the parents make all the decisions about their children's education, including planning, implementation and assessment. This study examined the experiences of homeschooling parents in the field of mathematics and adds to the sparse literature in this area. The study investigated the parents' own experiences of mathematics at school, their confidence in their role as parents of learners of mathematics, and their beliefs about the nature of mathematics and its teaching. It was found that the parents were mixed in their views about the nature of mathematics and how mathematics should be taught, were confident in their role as the parent of mathematics learners, and had good knowledge of their children's mathematics learning.