INDIVIDUAL TEACHING PHILISOPHY OF PARENTS OF HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN IN COMPARISON WITH PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

This study compared the individual teaching philosophies of home-educating parents and primary school teachers, with the aim of identifying preferred pedagogical perspectives and discussing their alignment with the National Curriculum framework. The sample consisted of 138 respondents: 81 primary school teachers and 57 home-educating parents from Slovakia. Respondents indicated their attitudes towards a range of pedagogical perspectives, including conservative, pragmatist, and personalist approaches. The findings indicated that teachers tended to favour a more conservative pedagogical orientation, whereas home-educating parents demonstrated a preference for a more personalist approach. Notably, no significant differences in preferences for pragmatism were observed between the two groups. These findings highlight contrasting pedagogical preferences between teachers and parents. They may indicate a potential benefit of increasing flexibility within the traditional education system, particularly in addressing the individual needs of learners, as outlined in the National Curriculum.