Homework Performance:
A Review of the Literature
Homework has, traditionally, been considered an important part of a quality education. Recent studies have begun to raise questions as to the validity of this school of thought. (Cooper, 2006) For the purpose of my action research project, homework is recognized as an important component in a student’s education experience. I have recently observed a problem with some of the students in my 3rd grade class not completing and turning in homework assignments. The research topic stems from this classroom observation and raises several questions:
1. Does homework performance have a direct correlation to student academic performance?
2. What strategies can result in improvement in student homework performance?
3. Will these strategies have a measurable impact on student performance on:
a) Homework?
b) Classwork?
c) Classroom tests?
d) Year-end Standardized testing?
This literature review will focus on these three questions.
Does homework performance have a direct correlation to student academic performance?
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, homework is an important part
of most school-aged children’s daily routine (Campbell et al., 1996). A review of literature
indicates that using research “in forming homework policies and practices has been minimal. Advocates for or against homework often cite isolated studies either to support or to refute its value.” (Cooper, Robinson & Patel 2006). According to Cooper, the positive effect of homework on student achievement is debatable and subject to individuals’ opinions (Cooper, 2010). The studies evaluated by Cooper revealed that “homework can be effective in improving students’ scores” (Cooper, 2010)...
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...Behavior Analysis,
1974, Vol. 7, pp. 505-519
Lieberman, L. M. (1983) “The Homework Study Solution” Journal of Learning Disabilities,
1983, Vol 16, p. 435
Miloler, Deborah L., & Kelley, Mary Lou, “The Use of Goal Setting and Contigency for
Improving Children’s Homework Performance”, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
Spring 1994, Vol. 27, pp. 73-84
Olympia, Daniel E., & Sheridan, Susan M., & Jenson, William R., & Andrews, Debra, “ Using
Student-Managed Interventions to Increase Homework Completion and Accuracy”.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Spring 1994, 27, pp85-99
Wolfendale, S., Parental Participation in Children’s Development and Education 1982
New York: Gordon and Breach
Wright, Jim, “Homework Contracts: Tapping the Power of Parents” www.interventioncentral.org
Many people often say that students, teachers, and parents, think homework should be banned, but multiple people disagree. This heated topic has been debated for many years. Some parents and teachers think students have too much. However, some believe their students receive too little. Few schools already have banned homework, but the majority of schools don’t. Some people agree with having ten minutes multiplied by the grade level of the student. As experts continue adding additional facts about homework, it is clear that homework can help students in different ways.
Goal congruence is needed as it ensures that a person’s goals are in line w...
According to Marzano and Pickering (2007) in an article titled the Case for and Against Homework, homework can be useful and very insurmountable when employed effectively. “Three import issues are the appropriate use of homework at various grade levels; the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework; and the most effective forms of parent involvement” (Pg. 76).
Everytime a kid does his homework, correctly, they are possibly advancing their knowledge and understanding of the subject at hand. Although, Alfie Kohn, author of the book “The Homework Myth” states, “Such policies sacrifice thoughtful instruction in order to achieve predictability, and they manage to do a disservice not only to students but, when imposed from above, to teachers as well” (Suhay). Not all homework will be beneficial. It can harm
Homework attributes to student success. According to Harris Cooper, a comparison of homework with no homework shows that the average student in a class with homework assigned would score 23 percentile scores higher on tests of the knowledge assessed than students in classes with no homework assigned (4). Cooper’s meta analysis concluded in the early elementary grades, there wasn’t a clear-cut agreement on the benefits of homework. However, in grades 7-9, the percentile gain doubled to twelve from a percentile gain of 6 in grades 4-6. Homework had the greatest effect on high school students grades tenth through twelfth with a percentile gain of 24. The study suggest that as homework’s difficulty and amount increased,, students percentile gains increased(5). The longer it takes to complete homework, the more the benefits increase. Another positive effect of homework is that it leads to better retention of knowledge learned in the school day. This means that if a student is assigned quality homework, it will help the student remember what he or she learned during school. ”Students in the U.S spend less time studying content than other students in different countries (Marzano and Pi...
Do you know the reason why every student dreads the last five minutes of class more than the other seventy? No? Well, it’s quite obvious really; this is the time when homework is assigned. So why does this simple 8-letter word fill us with dread? Simple, if there was ever a more disastrous invention than the American atomic bomb it was homework. This may be defined as work specifically created to be done in the home to keep students from enjoying life outside of school. Hence, I think that it should only be assigned by a teacher in the event that it is no longer possible for students to learn in the classroom. This is further supported by the limited guidance, stress, and time constraints encountered at home.
After studying the issue of homework, and the teacher’s influence upon it, I’ve come to realize homework may be overused in today’s educational system. I feel teachers are depending too much on outside education and not enough on in-class learning. Also, I believe the United States Government needs to develop a "homework standard". Educators in general need to come together and encourage students to learn in the classroom, and spend less time out of school doing countless hours of busy work. Teachers must look at the best interests of the students and base learning on communication in the classroom.
Many students who feel the pressure to succeed at the high school level have an unhealthy amount of stress. Students who feel this have been cheating, pulling all nighters, becoming depressed, and seeking relief in drug use, and self mutilation. On average in a recent study at Illinois high school students spend 3.07 hours of homework each night on just homework not including extra curricular activities(Jerushapope,2). Also in this high school students reported getting 6.8 hours of sleep each night, but 34.6% reported getting 6 or fewer hours of sleep(Jerushapope,2). Most high school students spend 2 hours of extra curricular activity each night thats not including homework so after those activities you have to come home and do homework and then you will not have a lot of time to sleep. Also most kids do not get a lot of time to spend with their parents during the weeknights. Some kids cannot even make it to the dinner table because they have so much homework and that is not healthy for the parents and their childs relationship. In ...
Locke, Edwin A., and Gary P. Latham. "New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory." Current Directions in Psychological Science 15.5 (2006): 265-68. Print.
One of the reasons homework should be banned is because of the unnecessary stress and strain it creates for students. Many students are left pulling their hair out at homework time. Students struggle with homework for different reasons. Some of which are because they do not understand the assigned homework, or they are not being challenged, and quite possibly because they have hit their daily threshold for learning and have no more to give. Furthermore, students who struggle academically will likely require extra assistance to do their homework. Students are therefore tasked with finding a qualified person to assist them with homework. Students are not only under the stress of homework, but now they are under additional stress to find a qualified person that can assist them. Unfortunately, some students may not be able to obtain the help they need with their homework. Consequently and to no fault of their own their grades may be affected inaccurat...
Dr. Michael Nagel, an associate professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, says homework has no scientific benefit and that it could even be bad for a student’s brain. “The adult brain does not fully mature until the third decade of life (a person’s thirty’s) and too much stimulation could cause unnecessary stress on a student.” An analysis conducted by Pearson showed that the number of hours spent on homework was between ten and sixty-five hours a week, with females scoring higher on the hours of homework, stres...
These activities, not homework will ensure that our children are happy and competitive in a highly competitive world.” (Bennett and Kalish). Homework may cause more harm to students and children at such an early age rather than having a positive effect. Others claim that homework regulation is a serious matter that should have parents more aware of this issue. If teachers would either regulate the amount of homework they assign, then students would actually be able to enjoy their school years before entering the working
Although homework may seem like drudgery, the hard work that is put into homework may pay off in the long run. In the article, “Does homework really work for students?” Jacqueline Carey, the mother of seventh grade student Micah Carey, stated that “homework gives [students] a good foundation for when they move on further in school” (Johnson). Not only that but according to Donyall Dickey, principle at Murray Hill Middle School, “if students do not acquire things in class, they will acquire them through homework” (Johnson). As we can see homework helps and prepares us for higher grade levels while in primary school that can possibly prepare us for college. It also helps us to remember the materials that were taught in class. Another reason homework can be beneficial is the fact that it can prepare us for tests and the dreadful pop-quiz that a teacher may randomly give us. This fact was proven, according to a 2006 study by Harris Cooper, director of Duke University’s Program in education, in the article “Homework or Not? That is the (Research) Question”. The studies instituted that “students who had homework performed better on class tests compared to those who did not” (DeNisco). Another compelling thing about homework, are the qualities a skills th...
We all know the downfall of homework: the frustration and exhaustion, family conflict, time loss, and decreasing interest in learning. No study has ever demonstrated any academic achievement linked to assigning homework. There is also no support to the fact that homework provides nonacademic benefits at any age. Here are a few examples: building character, promoting self-discipline, or teaching good work habits. All teachers who assign homework want to believe that the gain outweighs the pain. Although, there is no evidence of that and they must rely on faith (“Homework: No Proven Benefits”, pg. 1). Michellea, a mother of a middle school student, says that some work can reinforce certain skills, but hours of homework are unhealthy and unproductive. Mominseattle agrees. She contemplates that such a heavy load can result in potential drawbacks to the students. Hours of homework a night plus a full day of school can be just as much work as an adult at a full-time job. She believes students should enjoy their childhood, as short as it already is. MagnetMom complains about how her daughter’s homework takes away her beneficial sleep. With busy families, like hers, they have many after school activities, so when they get home, they do not have time for too much homework. She says ...
Homework helps students learn essential life skills such as self-discipline, independence, and perseverance; however, according to Alfie Kohn, “no study has ever confirmed the widely accepted assumption”. In modern schooling, all grade levels are given substantial amounts of homework, which causes a multitude of problems regarding physical and emotional health, along with, potential family issues and no leisure time. Therefor, there should be less classes or class time should be extended in order to give students an adequate amount of time to finish assignments in school, rather than at home. After all, what is the point of having a teacher if the student has to learn at home rather than being taught at school? This does nothing but compound