Uncovering home education in Italy: characteristics, motives, and pedagogic practices

Home education is a growing but relatively unknown and understudied phenomenon in Italy. This study offers an empirical contribution to surface the key familial characteristics, parental rationales, and pedagogic practice of home education in this national context. As part of a larger mixed-methods research project, the findings of a survey administered to 91 home-educating parents/carers (representing 142 home-educated students) are presented. The study reveals that over half of the respondents commenced home-educating in 2020 or later, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resonates with trends observed nationally and internationally, showing a recent significant upsurge in home education. Despite the importance of the pandemic as a contingent factor, the decision to home-educate among these parents was mostly driven by pedagogical and social concerns. The desire to provide a more personalised, child-centred, and “better-quality” education was key among this study population. Also, they were attracted to home education to embrace a more flexible and family-first lifestyle. Remarkably, religious-based motivations exerted only a modest influence. Regarding pedagogical practices, nearly half of the participants opted for a collective educational arrangement, while the remaining half opted for a home-based or individual approach at the family level. Most participants reported a preference for a “semi-structured” approach in planning their educational activities. They drew inspiration from a broad and eclectic mix of philosophies and pedagogic practices, with Montessori and Steiner being the most prevalent. In discussing the implications of this study, the paper lays the groundwork for future research in this national context.