Note: Chapters 1-3 include information such as the Problem Statement, Literature Review, and Research Design. In order to save space, these chapters are not included in this summary. Only the chapters that contain the findings are presented.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physical education is addressed in the home school setting. This chapter will present the findings concerning home school parents' regard for physical education. The data analyzed for this chapter were the participating parents' interview transcripts. The findings are organized and presented as they pertain to specific topics. These topics are: (a) the influence of parent biography on the regard for physical education, (b) parents' definition of physical education, and (c) importance attributed by parents to physical education in the home school.

Conclusion
The data revealed that the parents held a shallow regard for the subject of physical education. Their appraisal was shaped largely by childhood experiences in which physical education was remembered as having been basically a benign experience, though unfortunately associated with some unpleasant rituals. The parents recalled physical education classes that were essentially a parade of activities, and there was no association with a high level of instruction. These memories have been transferred to current attitudes. Physical education in the home school was defined as being a variety of sports and activities, all of which require little instruction. Contradiction was noted in the emphasis placed on sport and the relative lack of concern for sport skill development. The most important benefit ascribed to physical education by the parents was the development of overall health in the children. This need to improve one's health through exercise was viewed by some as a response to a command from God. However, this sentiment was inconsistent with the parents' current practices that, for the most part, did not include regular exercise.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physical education is addressed in the home school setting. This chapter presents the findings concerning the status of physical education as a component of the overall curriculum. The data analyzed for this chapter included the participants' interview transcripts and the results of the Q-sort. Also analyzed were documents, provided by the participants, that were related to the home school curriculum. These documents included lesson plans, progress reports, home school association materials, commercially produced curriculum materials, and official documents produced by the state. The data identified four agencies in or related to the home school setting that assign status to individual subject areas. The status assigning agencies are: (a) home school parents, (b) home school associations, (c) home school curriculum writers, and (d) official policy makers. In this chapter, a description is provided of the status assigned by each of these agencies.

Conclusion
The data clearly portrayed a hierarchy of subjects within the home school curriculum in which physical education was assigned a low status. Several groups concurred in the assignment of this low status. Evidence that the parents assigned a low status included the comparatively shallow treatment accorded physical education while planning for instruction and recording student progress. Home school associations provided relatively no support for physical education efforts, and the so-called physical education events reinforced the finding that the parents generally did not associate physical education with instruction. The curriculum writers also assigned a low status to physical education. This was indicated by the dearth of instructional material offered for purchase by the parents. Also, state legislators chose to not even require instruction in physical education. The data repeatedly showed that physical education was treated by all agencies in a brief and cursory manner, and this shallow treatment confirmed its low status within the overall curriculum.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physical education is addressed in the home school setting. This chapter presents the findings concerning the physical education component as it is currently practiced in the home school setting. The data examined for this chapter included the participants' interview transcripts, observation fieldnotes, documents, and artifacts. The emergent themes are presented as the physical education program is described. This description is presented based on the following topics: (a) objectives, (b) activities, (c) instruction, and (d) assessment.

Conclusion
The most prevalent theme to arise from the data was the belief that physical education was physical activity in toto. This theme guided the practice of physical education in the home school. In each of these settings, the physical education program consisted primarily of a parade of physical activities. In most settings, the parents believed the program required little involvement on their part. Whenever educational goals or objectives were stated, they were usually vague and extremely general. The parents were generous in providing resources for their children, and the schedule of the home school provided abundant opportunities for various activities. However, a somewhat paradoxical situation existed when the children required instruction. Home school parents, who had assumed complete responsibility for the education of their children, seemed eager to assign the teaching of physical activities to persons outside of the home. Also, with no clearly defined outcomes expected of the physical education program, most parents did not recognize any need for formal assessment and evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physical education is addressed in the home school setting. This chapter presents the findings concerning the impact of the physical education component on the child that it is designed to serve. The data analyzed for this chapter included interview transcripts and artifacts. The findings are presented in two sections. The first section describes the children's understanding of physical education as a subject area in the home school curriculum. The second section describes the children's attitudes toward physical activity, sport, and exercise.

The data for this study were drawn from the experiences of 33 children. The children were being home schooled at the time of the data collection. The ages of the children ranged from 6 to 16. The parents reported that many of the children had received home schooled instruction exclusively, though a majority of the children had received some traditional schooling in the past.

Conclusion
The children of the home school share with their parents the belief that physical education is an activity-dominated experience that is associated with little or no instruction. Exposure to physical education as it is practiced in some traditional schools may only serve to reinforce this attitude. The home school children persistently claim a preference for the home school setting. However, when quality instruction is desired in sport and physical activity, the children do not expect their parents to be capable of providing the instruction. The home school does provide numerous opportunities for the children to be physically active, and there are examples of high achievement in competitive sports. The home school children possess noticeable affection for sport and physical activity. Also, the children have been taught the importance of maintaining physical fitness as a lifetime pursuit.

This study described the extent to which physical education is addressed in the home school setting. This was an initial study into what has been a largely unexplored topic. To achieve focus and to provide direction for this study, the following research questions were addressed:

1. What is the regard of home school parents toward physical education? To what extent may parent biography be related to this regard? In what way does this regard influence the treatment of physical education in the home school?
2. What is the status of physical education in comparison with other subject areas in the overall curriculum?
3. What comprises the physical education component? What are the purposes? What activities are chosen to address these purposes? What resources are utilized? What are the means of assessment?

Analysis of the data revealed consistencies among the participants with respect to each of the research questions. The findings were organized and presented in the preceding chapters. In this chapter, these findings will be summarized and implications will be suggested.

Summation
In this section, the dominant themes will be presented under the following headings: (a) inclusion of physical education, (b) definition of physical education, (c) influence of past experience, (d) status of physical education, and (e) instructional patterns. The interrelatedness of the themes will be discussed.

Inclusion of Physical Education
The majority of the home school parents insisted that physical education was addressed within their educational programs. The evidence for this finding was found in the records maintained by the parents, as well as in their responses to direct questioning. Moreover, the parents stated that they considered the subject to be an important component of the overall curriculum. However, physical education was not addressed in the formal and structured manner in which other, more academic subjects were taught. Subjects such as reading and mathematics were taught each morning, with parents monitoring the performances of their children and maintaining records of their progress. The teaching of physical education, on the other hand, received scant attention by the parents. The entirety of the subject was most often consigned to either: (a) informal and child-initiated activities around the home, (b) participation in community-based athletic programs, or (c) enrollment in private or group lessons in selected physical activities. Despite the lack of direct and purposeful instruction in the home, the parents believed that the cumulative efforts with regard to the teaching of physical education were entirely sufficient.

Definition of Physical Education
The treatment of physical education was influenced by the parents' definitions of physical education. The parents considered physical education to be the engagement of their children in a physical activity. They believed that if their children were physically active, then they were being physically educated. Most of the parents did not associate physical education with an ongoing need for quality instruction. There was little mention by the parents of skill development, and absent from most of the parents' perspectives were any objectives that fell within the cognitive and psychosocial domains. Also associated with the parents' definitions of physical education was an expectation of enjoyment.

The children's definitions of physical education closely followed their parents'. The children equated physical education with physical activity. The words used to describe the subject involved sports, exercise, and games. The children also attached an expectation of fun and enjoyment to physical education. As with their parents' definitions, there were no references to instruction or to effective teaching.

Influence of Past Experience
The parents' past experiences in physical education classes influenced the parents' understanding of physical education as a subject area. This finding is consistent with the conclusion by Knowles (1988) that the home school curriculum is greatly influenced by the parents' memories of childhood experiences. There was a striking resemblance between the parents' definitions of physical education and the parents' memories of traditional physical education classes. The parents recalled physical education classes that were enjoyable, activity-based events with few elements of purposeful instruction. These memories appear to be manifested in the current approaches to physical education. Many of the parents believed that they had successfully included physical education in the curriculum as long as the children were physically active. They did not acknowledge a need to provide purposeful instruction.

The attitudes of many of the children towards physical education were likewise influenced by their previous exposures to traditional physical education classes. The children who had received a portion of their education in traditional schools described experiences that were activity-based and devoid of purposeful instruction. Their current definitions paralleled their past experiences. The children did not associate their past physical education classes with any purposeful instruction. Their contemporary understanding of physical education likewise was not associated with purposeful instruction. To them, physical education was synonymous to physical activity.

Status of Physical Education
When examined in context of the overall curriculum, physical education was not assigned a high level of relative importance. Though the parents stated that they believed physical education to be important, they added that they considered other subjects to be more important. Traditional academic subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics were considered by all of the parents to be of high status. Physical education was considered to be of much lower status, as were the subjects of music, art, and health.

Parents believed that traditional academics were more important because of the impact they have on future learning. In other words, academic subjects were thought to create the foundation upon which subsequent learning is constructed. The parents also expressed the belief that academic subjects have a direct impact on future career opportunities, therefore making these subjects more profitable than physical education.

Parents also assigned a low status to physical education because they believed instruction in the subject was usually not necessary. They believed that their children were predisposed to physical activity, and if given an opportunity, would acquire naturally the abilities involved in physical movement.

Others associated with the home school setting assigned a similar low status to physical education. These included the home school associations and resource developers, who addressed the subject of physical education briefly, and the policy makers, who addressed it not at all.

Instructional Patterns
Purposeful, direct instruction in physical education was almost non-existent in the home. The physical education component consisted of a plethora of physical activities and sports, many of which were performed in the home setting and without parent supervision. The children were provided with the equipment necessary for play, and they were encouraged by the parents to be physically active. When effective instruction was considered by the parents to be needed, or when the child expressed an affinity for a particular sport, the usual response was to relegate the necessary instruction to someone outside of the home setting. The usual source for this instruction was the coach of a community-based athletic team or the provider of sport-related lessons. The data indicated that most of the children were involved with a number of these activities performed outside of the home setting.

Implications
The findings of this study hold implications for a number of groups. These groups include the following: (a) home school parents, (b) professional educators, (c) resource developers, and (d) education policy makers. Insight has been gained into the regard each of these groups has towards the teaching of physical education. The effect of their practices has been illustrated, and a critical analysis of this information leads to the development of specific suggestions. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations are proposed for the following groups:

Home School Parents
This study shows that physical education is addressed in the home school in a shallow and cursory manner. The parents must understand that the subject of physical education involves more than just the promotion of physical activity. A comprehensive physical education curriculum should include purposeful instruction in physical fitness, fundamental motor skills, movement patterns, and specific sport skills. Physical education also involves the teaching of rules, strategies, and kinesiological concepts. Because of the nature of sport and physical activity, the subject also lends itself well for the teaching of social skills such as cooperation, teamwork, and proper sportsmanship. Free play is not an adequate substitute for physical education.

The parents must put more effort into the teaching of physical education. This includes searching for curriculum materials that provide the necessary information and guidance. As with the academic subjects, there should be lesson plans that specify performance objectives, as well as regular assessment of student progress. The parents should plan and supervise many of the physical education activities that are performed in the home setting. Also, when instruction is relegated to persons outside of the home, the parents should monitor to ensure that quality instruction is being provided.

The parents must be honest. This study revealed inconsistencies between the stated beliefs of parents concerning physical education and their actual practices. The statements and the written records indicated that physical education was an important component of the curriculum. However, the component as practiced was shallow and incomplete. The parents stated that they considered physical activity to be necessary, and that one should maintain a healthy fitness level throughout life. Some added that they considered this maintenance of a healthy lifestyle to be a command from God. However, many of these adults admitted that they were physically inactive as adults, and that their fitness levels were less than appropriate. Simply put, the parents' behaviors should match their rhetoric.

Professional Educators
The participants' perceptions of physical education were born in the traditional classrooms. These perceptions, therefore, can serve as powerful indictments of traditional physical education programs. The parents recalled physical education classes that were seemingly devoid of purposeful instruction. The children who had likewise received instruction in traditional programs echoed this perception of physical education. Physical education teachers were not regarded as effective instructors. Structure and purpose were considered to be lacking.

These findings emphasize the perpetuating influence of schools on the behaviors and attitudes of the students. Instructional practices that are perceived by the students to be shallow and insignificant form the basis of how the students, when they become parents, regard the subject matter. Physical education programs that lack commitment to the improvement of student performance in specified ways suggest to the students that there are no clear, educational purposes. Physical educators who do not model effective teaching suggest to the students that teaching is not important. The low status assigned to physical education is, therefore, largely due to the manner in which physical educators have practiced their profession.

For the status of physical education to be increased in the eyes of the public, physical educators must establish and maintain programs that are of high quality. Educational aims must be established, purposeful activities must be planned, and assessments of student performance must be conducted. The teachers should be committed to teaching, and their actions should emphasize this commitment. Physical educators must emphasize the importance of the subject area, and they should set high standards for themselves as teachers. Otherwise, physical education will continue to be appraised as a subject of low status.

Professional educators can also provide service to those who have chosen to home school. Those who teach in the public schools can establish afternoon and evening programs designed for home school children. These programs can be arranged through local home school associations, and they can involve the children of a large number of families. These programs can inform the parents of the importance of physical education as the children are provided quality instruction.

Those who serve in higher education can turn to the home school as an opportunity for preservice practicum experiences. This innovative approach is currently utilized at Appalachian State University, and it has been described as an approach that benefits all involved (Everhart & Harper, 1997). Preservice teachers obtain teaching practice prior to student teaching, while home school children receive physical education instruction. The children meet at the university at designated times, and this relieves the university of the need to go off-campus for clinical experiences.

Resource Providers
Many of the parents were frank about their lack of expertise in teaching. These parents indicated that they rely heavily upon commercially produced manuals to establish the scope and sequence of the subjects to be included in the curriculum. In most subject areas, the parents enhance their instruction with the use of instructional materials that were likewise readily available. However, in the area of physical education, there are few printed resources available for the parents. In fact, many of the curriculum manuals do not even include physical education as a component of the overall curriculum. Therefore, the parents have little guidance in the teaching of physical education. Without informed assistance, the parents depend on childhood memories to determine the nature of physical education in the home school.

The curriculum publishers should respond by including physical education as a regular component of their packages, and resource materials should be made readily available to those who choose to purchase them. The parents need this information. Descriptions of physical education as an important component of the curriculum may increase its status. The physical education programs designed for the home school should be comprehensive, including long-range objectives, daily lesson plans, and means for assessment. Accompanying manuals for the teaching of specific sport skills should be included in resource catalogues. Much of this information is already in print. However, it is not being marketed to home schools. To promote this material would be not only a business opportunity, but a service as well.

Community-based recreation programs were cited by the home schoolers as a frequent provider of instruction in physical activities. These programs include the local recreation departments and the YMCA. This study revealed that initial steps have been taken by some parents to establish an ongoing partnership with these providers. These efforts could prove beneficial to all concerned. By making their facilities available to home schoolers during off-peak hours, the providers can generate added revenue. The parents can rely on the trained personnel to supplement the home school instruction. Also, the children can be involved with a large group of children, making team play more feasible. These partnerships can be arranged and promoted through the home school associations.

Policy Makers
Official policy does not require the teaching of physical education in the home school setting. This suggests a low status for physical education. Many parents choose to include physical education voluntarily, recording it in their official documents as an elective. However, many home schools do not include physical education. Also, the records that indicate the inclusion of physical education are often incomplete and misleading. The lesson plans and progress reports are seldom written for physical education with the same level of detail as they are written for the academic subjects.
Policy makers should respond by seeking consistency. If physical education is important enough to be required in the public schools, it should be required in the home schools. Also, if detailed records are required relevant to the teaching of the academic subjects, the same should be required of physical education.

Suggestions for Future Research
This study was an initial exploration into the treatment of physical education in the home school setting. Additional research is needed to determine the home school's effectiveness in addressing the components of physical fitness. These components include cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. Insight can be gained by comparing the fitness scores of home schoolers with the fitness scores of children educated in public schools. Fitness testing can also serve to identify fitness components that are not being sufficiently addressed in the home school setting.

There are few longitudinal studies into the long-term effectiveness of home school instruction. The future exploration of the attitudes and practices of home school children after they become adults can be enlightening. The children who participated in this study can be interviewed to determine if their high level of physical activity continues, and also if they impart a similar affinity for physical activity to their children.

For the moment, research can be conducted into the settings chosen by the home school parents to provide sport instruction. These settings include community-based athletic programs, activity instructors, and summer sports camps. These settings can be explored to identify their educational content, instructional strategies, management techniques, and other related characteristics. Practices identified as exemplary can merit possible inclusion in traditional physical education programs.