Julia Moniz-Lecce
Julia Moniz-Lecce is a fourth-year student pursuing an Honours degree in Sociology with a minor in Latin American Studies.
Her research centres on educational and workplace disparities, focusing specifically on the experiences of minority and immigrant families in Canada. Inspired by her own educational journey and the significant increase in homeschooling following the COVID-19 pandemic, Julia’s honours thesis explores the unique motivations and challenges racialized families encounter when choosing to homeschool.
When she is not studying, you can find Julia playing tennis or working as an audio engineer.
Exploring Racial Disparities in Homeschooling: A Comparative Analysis of Social Factors That Motivate Choices and Experiences in Alternative Education
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has seen a significant rise in popularity across Canada. The advancement of online learning has helped make homeschooling more accessible than ever before, however, many families continue to face challenges with this method of learning. While research underscores the academic and social benefits of homeschooling, limited studies have examined how it intersects with existing racial inequalities in the Canadian education system.
This study seeks to fill this gap by examining the motivations and challenges that racialized families encounter during their homeschooling journeys to better understand the broader implications of educational access and equity outside of the traditional schooling system. Data has been collected through a mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative responses from an anonymous survey. Participants were recruited through online forums and community homeschooling organizations. They must have fit the criteria of being over 19 years of age, living in Canada, and being a parent or legal guardian of a homeschooled child.
Findings suggest that minority families encounter unique barriers and distinct motivations in their choice to homeschool. The findings from this study contribute to the growing discourse on educational access and inform strategies to make homeschooling a more inclusive and accessible option for Canadian families.
How did you become interested in this topic? Why did you choose it for your thesis?
I first became interested in this topic based on my own home learning experience. While I was presented with many opportunities throughout my K-12 home learning education, I was constantly struck by the lack of diversity within my program. Given the amount of research that finds that homeschooled children attain higher grades in university and hold more managerial positions in the workforce, I decided on this topic for my thesis as I believe it is important to look at the racial inequalities existing within this form of education as it ultimately has foundational impacts on many other areas of society.
Can you summarize your project and its main findings for us?
My research project looks at racial disparities in homeschooling across Canada using both quantitative survey data and written qualitative responses. I found that racialized families often choose homeschooling for different reasons than white families, mainly to protect their kids from racism in schools and to teach their own cultural history in a more meaningful way. For example, some parents expressed the value of teaching their own racial histories to their children and the opportunity to provide a decolonized approach to education. However, even though many found homeschooling to be empowering, racialized families also faced unique challenges, such as a lack of diversity in homeschooling spaces and stigma from within their own racial communities.
What was your favourite part of doing research?
The data collection phase was very exciting! When I initially started to recruit participants, I was worried that I wouldn’t find people willing to share their experiences about such a niche topic, however, I have been thrilled with the number of people that have been excited to participate. It’s been very uplifting to hear so many people share their heartfelt experiences as well as their passion towards educational equity. Many of the organizations I spoke with were also very eager to contribute and to have their voices heard. It has been very rewarding to share their profound contributions and inspiring stories.
What is the state of the current Sociology literature on your topic? What unique or interesting insights do you think your research might add?
While there are a number of sociological studies on alternative education in the US, there are very few studies exploring the homeschooling landscape across Canada. Additionally, existing research primarily utilizes a case study approach, focusing on the perspectives of only a few families at a time. I’m hoping that by implementing a nationwide survey, I will be able to provide unique insights into a population that is not often explored in academic literature.
Has this experience influenced what you want to do after you complete your degree and how?
This experience has really motivated me to continue exploring under-represented communities as I apply to sociology graduate school programs this coming fall. Research can be very intimidating, but the support from the honours program and my amazing supervisor, Dr. Amanda Cheong, has made the idea of pursuing grad school very exciting. I am hoping that my future research will one day provide actionable steps toward creating more inclusive spaces for marginalized communities.
