Homebound education for students with medical needs: the family perspective – a pilot study

In this pilot study conducted in Northern Italia, we investigated families’ perceptions of Homebound Education (HE) and its role in supporting their children. HE involves visits from teachers so that homebound students can continue their studies. This often means  adapting home living spaces and routines.

 

We gave families a 36-item questionnaire, divided into four sections: socio-demographic data, management of HE learning pathways, general parental perceptions, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the service. We applied thematic analysis to families’ open responses.

 

Results from the 19 families who responded indicate that HE does have a negative impact on household organization, particularly in space sharing and work-life balance. Other reported issues included delays in service activation, insufficient feedback, and weakness of relationships between students and schoolmates. Educationally, some reservations emerged about progress monitoring. Despite these challenges, families rated the service highly. They felt that teachers were committed to their students’ wellbeing and that HE provided continuity of education.

 

Overall, the findings underscore the central role families play in HE. It sheds light on areas for improvement like communication and organizational efficiency, and highlight the need for better support for both students and their caregivers.

 

The study is available here.