Evaluation of Homeschoolers' Soft Skills: Initial Survey Results.

Soft skills are key for the successful realisation of individuals in their personal, professional and social life, but scientific research conducted on the soft skills of homeschoolers is still scarce so far. One of the most frequent questions, when homeschooling is discussed concerns the presumed lack of social skills of homeschoolers. A common assumption is that homeschoolers' socialisation is compromised and homeschooled individuals' soft skills development is, therefore, impaired. However, researchers, education specialists, and homeschooling families have differing opinions about this question. Research shows that the concern of social skills deficit comes often from outside the families, although parents usually care the most about their children's wellbeing. Homeschoolers, who were surveyed in the framework of this research did not confirm this assumption either. Therefore, there seems to be a clear need for deeper understanding and further exploration of the soft skills of homeschoolers. This paper aims to present the initial findings, discovered through theoretical study and qualitative and quantitative analysis of the preliminary results of an online survey conducted with homeschoolers from 3 countries aged over 16 years in order to explore the soft skills they develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]