Post on 28-Jul-2020
A STUDY OF HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
MARYAM ABDUL SAMAD
A THESIS SUBMITED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MBA IN EDUCATION MANAGEMENT.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
KARACHI, PAKISTAN 2019
A STUDY OF HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
MARYAM ABDUL SAMAD
DR. SARWAT NAUMAN
SUPERVISOR
A THESIS SUBMITED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MBA IN EDUCATION MANAGEMENT.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
KARACHI, PAKISTAN 2019
Certificate of Approval
It is certified that Ms. Maryam Abdul Samad has successfully completed her research study
under my supervision on “Homework and Its Effect on Student Achievement.” in part fulfillment
of the degree of MBA in Education Management. Her dissertation meets the scholarly standards as
set by the Institute of Business Management.
Dr. Nasreen
Hussain Head of
Department
November 2019
Dr. Sarwat Nauman
Research Supervisor
November 2019
Abstract
Homework has been a topic of debate for over a century in the west and its importance in the
academic lives of the students. Homework brought home daily by students is considered as part
of out of school learning. The debate about homework and its effect on student achievement in
recent time has been a hot topic since various schools of thoughts do not agree with implementing
the 100-year-old method of homework in schools. Research about homework practices was
carried out in a study and the perception of students on homework and their attitudes towards it.
All such previous research has been conducted in the western countries in upper primary, very
little research has been carried in lower primary.
The research has extended the prior work on homework from secondary grades to primary
grades. Furthermore study on homework and its effect on student has rarely been conducted in
south Asian countries. This study examines the role of homework in student’s school life and its
effect on student achievement and its implication in primary section of an elite private school in
Karachi. The researcher employed the mixed method research and the data was analyzed through
the quanti/Quali method. The research was also conducted to get the students point of view about
homework tasks and its importance in their daily lives. The methodology used was action research
by the researcher in grade three and studied the relationship of homework and its effect on their
learning in science class. In the research, the students were tested with short quizzes after each
lesson and applied a standardized test as an end of unit test. Further research was conducted
through focus group interviews to gather student thoughts and opinions about homework .The
results from our research indicate that homework does have a positive effect on student test scores
and helps in their academic capabilities in primary grades. In addition, the results of the research
showed that most students think homework is important to the learning.
However, the poor design and lack of teacher’s timely feedbacks discourage them to
complete their homework on time. It should be designed in such away students develop motivation
and enjoy completing it. Moreover this study contributes to the current literature in terms of its
latest and uniqueness of being from a part of the world were there, is less research conducted on in
primary grade levels of private schools regarding homework. As a result homework practices in
the country will be highlighted and any changes necessary in the current practices will emerge and
benefit the students.
Keywords: Homework, effect, attitudes, primary grades, achievement.
To my family and friends
Thank you for believing in me, it was with your due support and constant encouragement that have
made me competent to complete this research and degree.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank first Allah Tallah on providing me such knowledgeable mentor Ms.
Sarwat Nauman, who guided me in every step and provided me with a positive critique which
improved my research and my learning. Her guidance has opened a learning arena for me which I
will cherish for my life time. I would like to thank Dr. Zehra Habib because of your teachings; it
compelled me to do research on this topic.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT I
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1
Background………………………………………………………………………………3
Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………………….3
Rational of the Study……………………………………………………………………4
Chapter 2: Literature Review …………………………………………………………………7
Homework and its Effect on Student Achievement ……………………………………11
Homework and Student’s Attitude……………………………..……………………...11
Homework and ICT..…………………………………………………………………..15
Chapter 3:Methodology……..…………………………………………………………………19
Sample size……………………………………………………………………………...21
Data collection…………………………………………………………………………..21
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………....22
Chapter 4: Results………….……………………………………………………….…………..24
Quantitative Analysis….………………………………………………………….……..24
Qualitative Analysis………………………………………………………………………….……26
Interesting Homework …………………………………………………………………….……..26
Short Homework………………………………………………………………………………..….28
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT II
Timely Submission and Feedback……..…………………………………………………………29
Valuable for students………………………………………………………………………..........31
Chapter 5: Discussion………………………………………………………………………..33
Quantitative Mean………………………………………………………………………...34
Qualitative Analysis………………………………………………………………………35
Interesting Homework…………………………………………………………………………..…37
Short Homework……………………………………………………………………………………39
Timely Submission and Feedback……..………………………………………………………….40
Valuable for students ………………………………………………………………………………42
Chapter 6: Conclusion…………………………………………………………….................44
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………46
Appendix A…………………………………………………………………………………..51
Appendix B…………………………………………………………………………………...52
Appendix C…………………………………………………………………………………..53
Appendix D…………………………………………………………………………………..54
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 1
Chapter 1
Introduction
Homework is a long tradition, which dates back a century ago when school’s work consisted
of reading, writing, arithmetic and rote learning (Vatterot, 2018). According to Cathy (2018), these
were simple tasks that the children did at the beginning of the century to increase their mental
strength. As it was believed that,the brain needed mental exercises daily to increase its strengths
(Cardenas, 2012). The first signs of homework appeared with the first formal school around this
time, as we know it even before that people claim that monks invented homework in 1859 as they
were asked to practice singing after their vocational lessons. In Europe, homework dates back to the
beginning of the 19th
century where people claim that Roberto Nevilles, a teacher from Venice,
Italy, who was disappointed in the performance of his class, decided to punish the students in this
original way. Notably homework also dates back to 1901 in California where they believe that they
invented homework.
Early advocates of homework felt that giving it to students daily was justifiable as the
teacher gets a total of thirty hours in a week with the students, which is not enough for teachers
to meet their learning objectives. So daily reinforcement at home should be given so the students
can reach the level that the teacher wants to achieve in her class (Gordon, 1980). During the 18th
century, schooling was not compulsory until age 14 and most of children had chores to do at
home so only a minority of them attended schools. They did not find homework as being a
burden and it was not such a big issue in those days. Children practiced and rote memorized most
of the class work (PGill & Schlossman, 2004). At some point during the early 1900s, a
movement of anti-homework started in the United States of America. In 1901, the editor of
the Ladies' Home Journal, Edward Bok, began a series of anti-homework articles. He
recommended the elimination of homework for all students under the age of 15 and a limit of
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 2
hour nightly for older students (Vatterot, 2018). This movement gained momentum in the 1930s
and legislation was passed in America to abolish homework, especially in the lower grades. This
continued for many years until, the industrial era when reformation of homework started, it
became more proactive and rehabilitated it as a tool for academic excellence (PGill &
Schlossman, 2004). After the cold war in the late 1950‟s the importance of homework emerged
and its focus shifted from drills to problem solving assignments (Spencer, 2017). According to
Spencer, (2017) the homework debate continues even today, whether it benefits the students in
their overall academic achievement.
Homework is an important part of children who are school going and it is considered a
form of reinforcement and retention of the work done in class. Homework is the student’s task at
home, but it may also involve parent’s guidance or help as well. It can be defined as any task
assigned by schoolteachers intended for students to carry out during non-school hours (Cooper
H.,1989). The debate over homework’s importance and its inclusion in the children’s daily life
has been going on for years and during this time, the public opinion has shifted from positive to
negative to positive again (Emami, 2014). Although it seems like a simple question, but has a
very complex answer (The Learning Team, 2010). Where the real dilemma for educators and
parents both, is homework effective for student learning in primary classes? Previous researches
like Cooper, (1989) commented that homework had a positive impact on student achievement in
higher classes. The case for primary classes was indifferent and no major change was seen in
student performance. The success of homework also depends on the type of homework
assignments given, that can range from reading, writing, long term projects to short assignments
all depending on the grade level, teacher or subject requirement (Cooper H.,1989).
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 3
Background
Early advocates of homework felt that giving it to students daily was justifiable as the
teacher gets a total of thirty hours in a week with the students, which is not enough for teachers to
meet their learning objectives. So daily reinforcement at home should be given so the students can
reach the level that the teacher wants to achieve in her class (Gordon, 1980). During the 18th
century, schooling was not compulsory until age 14 and most of children had chores to do at
home so only a minority of them attended schools. They did not find homework as being a burden
and it was not such a big issue in those days. Children practiced and rote memorized most of the
class work (PGill & Schlossman, 2004).
At some point during the early 1900s, a movement of anti-homework started in the United
States of America. In 1901, the editor of the Ladies' Home Journal, Edward Bok, began a series of
anti-homework articles. He recommended the elimination of homework for all students under the
age of 15 and a limit of one hour nightly for older students (Vatterot, 2018). This movement gained
momentum in the 1930s and legislation was passed in America to abolish homework, especially in
the lower grades. This continued for many years until, the industrial era when reformation of
homework started, it became more proactive and rehabilitated it as a tool for academic excellence
(PGill & Schlossman, 2004). After the cold war in the late 1950‟s the importance of homework
emerged and its focus shifted from drills to problem solving assignments (Spencer, 2017).
According to Spencer, (2017) the homework debate continues even today, whether it benefits the
students in their overall academic achievement.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the homework varies from either being instructional or non-instructional.
The most common instructional purpose of homework is to provide the student with an
opportunity to practice or review material that has already been presented in class (Epstein,
1983). Hundreds of students come every day from school and bring around an hour’s homework.
For some homework is easy where for others it could be a struggle or a burden (Emami, 2014).
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 4
Homework can serve many purposes; it may be to meet teacher’s objectives, student learning or
school learning goals. There has been debate about the homework policies, practices by schools
especially at primary level. According to Cooper, (1989) parents feel that their children are
overburdened and the educators feel it is for the overall academic improvement of the students.
The conflict is ongoing between parents and teachers as what, and how much homework should be
given to students in primary grades.
The history of homework in Pakistan was influenced by the British education system, as
it was part of British India before independence. The concept of homework was mostly practiced
in all the public and private schools as a reinforcement of the lessons done in class. No
homework policy is present regarding homework in Pakistan’s education policy (Ministry of
Federal Education and Professional Training Government of Pakistan, 2017). As there is no clear
guideline, it depends and varies from school to school as to what kind of homework system is
being followed. Karachi is one of the most populated cities in Pakistan and there are hundreds of
schools and millions of school going children. The general practice in all these schools is to
burden the students with homework and demand submission on the next day.
Rational of the Study
The teaching practices are conventional in almost all the schools and they are given
homework daily, and not all of it is checked regularly, including short notes to be learned at
home (Iqbal, 2012). The need for more research in Asia particularly Pakistan was needed to
understand the implications of homework and its effect on student achievement in urban areas
of Karachi where education and school is an important part of life for .No such study has ever
been conducted, regarding homework, how students perceive it and its importance in their life.
The rational is also to make organized methods to implement homework in classrooms which
will benefit students in their academic life.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 5
Research Questions
Q1. To what extent does the homework effect academic achievement in primary classes?
Q2. What are the attitudes of children towards homework?
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 6
Key terms
Homework: Homework is defined as a reinforcement task or work given by the teacher to the
students to be completed outside the classroom. Homework does not necessarily mean that it has
to be done at home, but any place outside the classroom. Its basic purpose is reinforcement and
extension of the learning that took place in the classroom.
Effect: The effect is usually used as a noun in a sentence and its meaning is to bring about.
Achievement: Achievement in education is the overall result or success, a student achieves in a
period in school.
Attitudes: A predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain
idea, object, person or situation. Attitude influences an individual's choice of action, and
responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards.
Primary Grades: According to the U.S.A system Elementary school is from grade one to grade
six.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 7
Chapter 2
Literature Review
The research discusses the importance of literature of homework and its effect on student
achievement, which is very vast. Research has been carried out since the early 1900 in USA
where homework has been an important part of American life and students are assigned
homework on a daily basis. The literature review of my research revolves around the works and
theories of Cooper on homework, which span, for twenty years. Cooper, (1989) reviewed nearly
120 US educational studies to study the effect of homework on student achievement. During
those, years Cooper’s research was conducted from 1987 to 2006 and during that time, he had
researched on many aspects of homework on student life. This research has been narrowed down
into two aspects, firstly the effect of homework on student achievement and secondly the attitude
of students towards homework. The urgency for research in the USA was felt when the USSR
launched Sputnik, which made USA realize that they as a nation were way behind in technical
knowledge as compared to other countries and need to work on their education sector. The
changes that took place in the education policy in the 70‟s in the USA also included the inclusion
of daily homework for students.
Cooper has completed two influential systematic reviews about homework in the United
States over a period of twenty years concluded that a small amount of homework is useful
but in higher grades and there is no significant difference in students’ academic
achievement in primary grades. Researchers on the other hand are of the view that the
importance of homework has increased over the years. According to them, second-graders
should not be doing two hours of homework each night, but they also should be spending
some part of the day doing small amounts of homework (Epstein, 1983). A widespread
belief among educators, teachers and parents is that homework is somewhat beneficial for
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 8
students in primary classes and much more useful in higher grades. The literature review that
was found is mostly about homework and its effect in the USA, although some papers in Canada
and 16 OCED countries studies have also been included in the literature review. The scope of
research has been limited to homework and its effect on student achievement and the attitude of
students towards homework in primary classes from grades one to three.
Homework and its effect on student achievement
The main research for the literature review builds on the existing knowledge and the
extensive work carried out by Cooper for homework. According to Cooper (1989), homework
has a positive effect on student achievement, in secondary level. The effect can vary depending
on the level of grade but overall homework has substantial positive effects on in secondary
grades and negligible difference in elementary grades. It seems that there are many positive
short-term effects of homework like better understanding of factual knowledge, better retention,
increase in problem solving and curriculum enrichment (Cooper H. , 1989). He further goes on to
identify the long term effects of homework in school going children. Cooper (1989), offers
valuable insight on how homework improves student’s attitude towards school, willingness to
learn, better work habits and the sense of responsibility. In his research to prove the effectiveness
of his homework, he considered it as an instructional method necessary for outside school
learning and during his research; it became clear to him that homework served different purposes
in different grade levels. The effect was not visible in younger grades never the less it was
effective in the form of good working habits, responsibility and positive character traits. In
higher grades, the effect was more visible in the form of facilitating knowledge acquisition on
specific topics. As times have changed and with the influx of technology and ICT in our lives,
there needs to be further research on homework and its effect in the current digital age. The latest
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 9
research on homework as compared to cooper’s synthesis deviates to examine how different
kinds of homework and its execution have an effect on achievement levels. For teachers to just
give homework and get it done by the student does not influence student achievement, rather it
depends on many other factors. For example, what type of assignment is given, how actively
engaged the student is to do the homework and what is the perception and attitude of the student
towards homework (Canadian council, 2009).
When cooper started his research, America had already gone through many phases of
love and hate for homework, but with time, they realized that the nation was lagging behind in
mathematical and scientific knowledge, so the need for homework gained importance. This led
the schools to find a way to increase student success and to take homework seriously. Cooper
arguments illustrate the need for a nationwide homework policy to maintain a standard and
uniformity for all school-going children. In his synthesis, he concluded that students in the higher
primary level which is grade four onwards till grades six should be given fifteen minutes
homework at least three times a week or more if needed depending on the students „academic
needs. He felt the need for homework in primary classes was not for knowledge retention rather
it showed no significant difference in their academic learning (Cooper H., 1989). The point
stressed by Cooper, was that while giving homework to the students the motivational tool should
be at all-time present otherwise the homework would not be effective and just a burden for the
students. The homework should be a joint effort of all the teachers teaching different subjects so
each subject has days fixed as to keep the homework from being a burden. These were the
recommendations that Cooper suggested were necessary for an increase in student achievements.
In his defense, he compares the homework with medication, if you take too little, it has no effect
and if you take more it can kill you.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 10
Although a number of authors have supported Cooper’s theory for homework and its
relation to student achievement, but with the development in the 21st
century and the stakes
getting higher has led the people to believe that the more time spent in school, more homework,
and exposure to technology is the way to success in this fast-paced world (Hayward, 2010).
There consists a considerable study of literature New research in China and 16 other OECD
countries has also taken place on homework and their findings are more relatable to today’s
environment and children’s upbringing. The study conducted on the data of sixteen OCED
countries concluded that homework has no effect on student achievement rather the homework
performance even varied according to gender, the economic status of the students and the
country, which they belonged to (Rønning, 2010). In a recent study, it has been concluded that
homework has a positive effect on math and science subjects in elementary grades (Murillo &
Martinez-Garrido, 2014). Furthermore, research carried out in China is important in view of the
great economic boom that it has achieved in the past 20 years.
Literature pertaining strongly suggests that in China, the result in primary school students
found no significant correlation that existed between academic achievement and the time spent
by students to complete their school homework. It also means that more and more time spent by
the students to complete their homework will not necessarily lead to higher academic
achievement (Teong, 2014). In fact, according to Teong (2014), the pressure of homework is not
only on the Chinese students to complete it but also on the parents who have to buy workbooks
along with books as well to do the assigned homework prescribed by teachers in the workbooks.
There have been numerous studies to support that homework has a positive effect on student
achievement in primary classes in the US (Canadian council, 2009). As well as literature
available contradicting these claims in present times in developing countries (Emami, 2014). In
the Pakistani context, homework in schools is a burden for school children and due to extensive
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 11
curriculum and no proper planning of classroom teaching. Teachers assign tasks, which are part
of the curriculum without teaching it in class to be finished at home (Inayat, 2014). According to
Inayat (2014), this excessive homework leads to stress and burden on the students rather than
achievement for the students. Due to the boom in primary schools all over Pakistan, the quality of
education provided and the quality of teachers has declined which has affected the schooling
system. As there are no homework regulations in Pakistan’s education policy and the homework
is mostly at the discretion of the teachers. Thus, there is no balance in homework assignments in
primary and secondary classes, which has an adverse effect on the students learning (Aijaz, 2001).
Homework and student’s attitude
This section reviews the literature related to homework from the student’s point of view
and their attitude towards homework. Attitude here refers to the children’s response towards
homework given by the teacher. The attitude towards homework can be measured by the timely
submission of homework to the teacher and the quality of work produced in the homework. It is
also dependent on two factors that are the nature of the homework or assignment and the attitude
of parents towards the homework (Cooper & Jackson, A Model of Homework's Influence on the
Performance Evaluation of Elementary School Students, 2001). Studies by Cooper were
considered conclusive because when he conducted his research parents were pro homework and
felt it was a necessary form of reinforcement and directly related homework assignments to good
test grade, which is not the case these days. Parents of younger children were more involved in
their homework assignments and this interest and enthusiasm affected the student’s attitude
towards their work. Parent perception about homework is a big factor in influencing student
attitude (Canadian council, 2009). Homework in primary grades does have an effect on students
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 12
achievement but it does create an awareness on the children that learning is not limited to school
rather it can take place anywhere.
Furthermore, the positive outlook of homework by the teacher when she is teaching and
assigning work creates a positive attitude in the students as well. In primary classes, the students
are too young to develop great educational skills or increase their academic through homework
but the daily exercise of doing tasks at home can create discipline in their lives at a young age
and help them to better focus on their studies (Cooper H. , 1989). However, the main argument
about homework’s success in the students ’academic life relates to how the student perceives
homework. The attitude will be positive if the homework interests the child and motivates the
students rather than a burden which has to be completed. One of the arguments Cooper, (1989)
in his research about homework is that when started at an early age in primary classes gradually
improves the student’s attitude towards and makes them realize schoolwork needs to be revised
for better performance in class the next day.
Cooper carried out the research in the late 1980’s, during that era, the parents were very
competitive for their children and thus supported homework being sent from the teachers on a
regular basis. This led to a positive attitude in the students because they could feel the interest
and support of their parents towards homework. In his studies, he states many potential benefits
of homework and one them being the parent’s positive attitude and support for the child in the
homework task. Another factor, which is important, is the motivation built by teachers in
classrooms for homework assignments. (Doorn, Janssen, & O'Brien, 2010).However additional
studies to understand the attitude of students towards homework in this digital age is necessary.
Students are exposed to everything at a very early age and they have information available to
them at their fingertips. In this scenario, how does homework benefit students? Not only students
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 13
but also parents have also become competitive for their child’s achievements for better chances
of success in the real world. The students now days have after school activities, group projects
and sport tournaments. In all of this if the students are burdened with homework, their attitude
towards it becomes negative and they consider it as an added stress in their lives. The students in
primary grades are already going to school until four in the afternoon and their days are full with
various activities in school, which may be exhausting for them. Thus, it is up to the teacher if she
is assigning homework in primary grades she should design and assign the homework task which
is student friendly, manageable and not too time consuming. Teachers are already aware of what
kind of homework will motivate the students, challenge them and include exciting and
investigating work, which intrigues them. Apart from Cooper’s research about the student’s
attitudes about homework, another aspect of it is the attitude towards homework in Asia. In
recent research, in countries like Malaysia and China, student life is synonymous with
homework, the students’ lives in primary, middle and secondary have been taken over by
homework and revision for tests (Teong, 2014). This sort of pressure by teachers and parents
creates fear in students of consequences and they do their homework half-heartedly (Lienholte,
2016).
Homework is termed as an extension of learning outside the classroom and is an integral
part of student life from primary classes all over the world. From the early 1900’s to the present
age, homework has been a topic of extensive research and its results are not simple but very
complex. A new approach is therefore needed due to the ever-evolving education systems
influenced by the cutthroat economic competition and political instability in the world. From
experiences, the developing and underdeveloped countries believe that high scores in math and
science are essential for the development and a better future for their citizens. To insure progress
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 14
in academic performance homework is one of the key ingredients and according to latest
research that homework has a direct link to student achievement even in elementary grades
(Murillo & Martinez-Garrido, 2014). The need for further research about homework and its
effect on student achievement in primary classes arises because times have changed and more
and more schools around the world are adopting different teaching pedagogies and methods.
The use of ICT in education has also increased and homework in senior classes being
assigned on online portals. The fear of children lagging behind in knowledge has created frenzy
in the minds of educators and parents to make homework a compulsory part of life. Researchers
argue that children need constant reinforcement of classwork and learning objectives to achieve
good grades and hey believe homework has multiple benefits for younger kids too (Sinha, 2018).
It teaches them to manage time, take on responsibility of doing work outside classroom and
submitting it on time. Homework creates a habit in them of opening their work for revision daily,
which has a significant difference in achievement in class. Research by Cooper stresses the need
for opening and revising math or science work at home even for twenty minutes daily and can
drastically help improve understanding in students. The secret is consistency and homework for
students is a form of routine and development of habits that will help later in higher studies.
One primary problem with Cooper’s theory is his belief that homework has no effect in
primary grades and that the relationship between homework and achievement is not as direct as
Cooper believed to be and many factors affect achievement of students. Moreover, practice of
homework in schools also depends on many socio economical and ethical issues prevailing in the
society (Lienholte, 2016). Homework is something that the young children of primary schools
cannot do independently and require some help from their parents and his can cause a conflict
between them and build a negative attitude towards homework in the family. For this reason,
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 15
teachers and educationalists need to plan homework according to the children’s needs and give
flexibility on completion and submission time. However, another school of thought argues that
homework takes away leisure time from kids to explore and play and they are doing the same
work at home which they did in class. The 21st
century teaching and learning encourages
experiential learning and critics of homework argue that it takes precious learning time for
children by doing homework, which they could utilize, by doing other physical and cognitive
activities.
Homework and ICT
The need for further research about homework and its effect on student achievement in
primary classes arises because times have changed and more and more schools around the world
are adopting different teaching pedagogies and methods. The education system has undergone a
transition face with the emergence and popularity of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT). It is considered as a basic and core of education in many developed countries
of the world (Geoffrey, 2010). The use of ICT in education has also increased and homework in
senior classes being assigned level that has now changed, where ICT Integration in primary
classes has become a necessity due to early exposure of students through iPad, laptop and phones
provided by parents at home. Research homework assigned for science subjects may requi
students use internet and carry out their research workon online portals. The use of ICT to
learn language is not only feasible these days but also very popular method in senior grades
(Hanrahan, 2005). Over the past decade children as young as two have exposure to some sort of
gadgets. In the past ICT was introduced in schools in secondary grades.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 16
Parents and schools both encourage homework in Asian countries. They are of the thought
that the more kids do work at home and spend time with schoolwork, the more it will help them to
get good grades. These grades will help them to get admissions in universities of their choice
around the world. In Pakistan, the trend is as same as the rest of Asia; teachers burden the student
with homework and assignments. The majority of the schools in Pakistan do not have a homework
policy for classes based on their grade level. Homework is assigned not keeping in view the
academic needs of the students, rather it is to cover the curriculum, learn or revise for retention
purposes (Iqbal, 2012). Mostly homework is tedious tasks, which the students usually resent, and
attempt to finish only out of fear of consequences. Due to lack of trained teachers, they are unable
to design homework plans and assignments that help develop problem- solving, inquiry-based
skills in students. Which can help students to develop cogitative and problem-solving skills, which
are so important in today’s world? Our belief in old methods of burdening the student with
homework is so set in our educational system that even though these methods may have become
ineffective with time. Thus, the aim of this research is to analysis these deep-rooted beliefs of
homework and its effect on achievement in primary students nowadays.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 17
Conceptual Framework
Homework
(INDEPENDENT)
Students Achievements
(DEPENDENT))
Students Attitudes
(DEPENDENT)
Humans are attached by nature to their beliefs strongly and are reluctant to follow an
alternative to way of thinking. Our beliefs are so deep rooted and rigid that we fail to realize that
our practices have become ineffective and it is time for change. This is the case even for
homework also, since the early 1900‟s homework has been an integral part of student life and
parents also perceives it as beneficial for their children’s academic progress.
This practice has been carried out for 100 years. The question that arises is since the
world has developed at such a rapid speed and information is available at our finger, are the
practices of homework effective. Today’s children are facing different issues academically,
personally and socially than kids thirty years ago. So can we actually say that homework effect’s
student achievement in a positive way even in primary school? Today’s world is all about
creativity, problem solving, skills development and decision-making. The schools are moving
more towards experimental learning and teaching styles. In this scenario homework assigned to
students, is an extension of just classwork with the purpose of retention or reinforcement.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 18
The concept of homework level in primary classes, its implementation and its effect on
students is very complicated to measure, and it is not dependent on any one variable. Teachers
need to be trained; curriculum and lesson plans have to be planned and include well-planned
homework that is interesting to the students. Only relevant short assignments as homework
should be given for homework so the students do not feel it as burden and their attitude towards
homework does not turn negative. Students these days are involved in a lot of after school
classes and extracurricular activities, which leave very little time left for homework. New
research on homework and its effectiveness is needed to develop new meaningful purpose of
homework for a much broader benefit to students than increasing student achievement only in
class.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 19
Chapter 3
Methodology
This research was an experimental research with a mixed method approach. The
experimental research method in educational research provides a method of investigation to
derive basic relationships among variables in a controlled environment. The experiment was
conducted to measure the effect of homework on the student’s academic achievement in primary
grades and their attitude towards homework. The characteristics of experimental research are
control, manipulation, observation and replication. In the research experiment, the cycle was
repeated thrice to come to a valid conclusion.
The research was a mix method approach known as the quanti/quali approach which is
used to gain a better in depth understanding and while offsetting the weaknesses inherent to
using each approach by itself. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection
from students and then analyzed to gain results. Throughout the research the researched penned
down the observations made in the class while conducting the experiment and later converted
them into teacher’s reflection. A key to good research is a well formed question. Thus, the
decision on using which method for data collection and analysis depends on the various research
questions for the topic rather than the researcher’s choice.
The quantitative approach was applied for the first research question of the study
regarding homework and its effect on student achievement in primary classes. The data
collection and analysis was conducted by the mix method approach in which the beginning of the
research was a quantitative study which is used in order to establish a sample of respondents and
identify the size of the potential market .In quantitative research, the method of data collection
was a number of test scores, which were collected after three science units. The test scores were
the main source of analysis in quantitative method.
“Qualitative is an inductive approach to generating novel insights into phenomena that
are difficult to quantify” (Hren & Young). This type of research helps to characterize various
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 20
participant’s experiences and perspectives. The second research question was about students and
their attitude towards homework. The best possible method was to conduct a focus group
interviews with the students on how they really feel about getting homework.
It is widely known that teacher’s reflection is a good source of analysis as teachers
reflect on their practices and student’s behaviors regularly (Jaeger, 2013). The teacher will
reflect and note down her reflections for both of the research questions; the teacher had
conducted the experiment, collected data through-out, and assessed the test and gave them
scores. Furthermore, the teacher is responsible for checking the homework on a daily basis and
is aware of the student’s efforts towards homework. Thus, the reflection of the teacher was
important for the conclusion as he/she had developed an understanding of the student’s
homework patterns and responses in class. The teacher’s reflection and focused group
interviews were subjective but a common theme about the student’s attitude towards homework
was reflected and this gave an interesting perspective to the study. Students opinions in
homework has hardly been recorded in Asian countries as parents feel that homework is very
necessary and an important part for their child’s academic as well as social needs too.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 21
Sample size
Sample size has great significance in any research, as researching on the whole
population is not feasible because the data would be too vast to analyze. Thus, sample size
calculations help the researcher to analyze and come up with conclusions with the limited
amount of information which can be generalized into the population (Gogtay, 2010)
For this research, purposive sampling was used where the sample consisted off a sample
size of a class of 30 students of grade three of the primary section in a private school of Karachi.
The sample size was further divided into two groups of 15 each to conduct an experimental
research. Group A was given homework after classes and group B was not given in any
homework. Group A and B were randomly selected to reduce the element of biasness in
research. The sample was taken during the first term of grade three and the lessons were
conducted during their weekly science periods for three consecutive weeks.
Data Collection
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of
interest, in a systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test
hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes (Myers).The data collection in this research was collected
through test scores and focused group interviews as well as teacher’s reflection during and after
class. During this study, the students completed three units in their science class.
The first unit was the baseline unit where students in one group completed homework.
This unit focused on the human skeleton and various types of bones. The students needed to
identify the various bones in the human body as well as their functions. In addition, students were
asked to compare two bones of their choice.
In the next step homework assignments were given to group, A whereas no homework
related to the topic was given to group B. The following day group A, had submitted their
homework and a test was conducted in class (Appendix A) related to the previous day’s lesson.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 22
Both the groups in the class were tested and scores from that test were used for data collection
for this study. The homework assignments varied in length, but all of them consisted of short
research based questions which were an extension of their class learning. The test follows similar
formats and all materials used in this study were teacher-created. For experimental research and
data required for analysis should consist of more than one set of results to validate the findings,
thus two more similar units were taught to both groups A and groups B in class in the science
period. In the second unit, the teacher focused on joints and muscles that are part of the human
body as well. Again, one group was given the homework and the other group was not given
homework. Both the groups were given the same test (Appendix B) and their scores collected.
This same procedure was repeated for the third unit as well which consisted of a chapter about
voluntary and involuntary muscles followed by a test (Appendix C). All three tests were
conducted in a similar format and scores from tests were kept as a percentage grade.
The second part of the research was conducted by the qualitative method where the
attitudes of the students towards homework were analyzed. For this purpose by conducting a
focus group interviews were conducted from the students of grade three. The sample group was
broken into groups of six each and there were a total number of five groups. The interview was
conducted by teachers in each focused groups to get responses of students regarding their
thoughts and feelings of getting homework on a daily basis as part of their schooling.
Data Analysis
Research is both quantitative and qualitative for this the reason the data collection tools varied
as well for both methods. The data collected will be analyzed by methods that support the
quantitative and qualitative analysis. The tool used for data collected on the test scores of
student was through SPSS to see the effect of test scores on students‟ academic achievements.
SPSS is an online tool used in quantitative research to come up with numerical values of data
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 23
and then analyzed to find a theme in the data. A thematic analysis was done from focus group
interviews to come up with results from the sample. Thematic analysis is the process which
helps to identify patterns and generate ideas from the focus group interviews .The results
emerge in the form of identifiable themes and behavior (Aronson, 1994). The third method was
the teacher’s reflection throughout the research and its analysis. Thus, these three methods were
used to come up with results and form a conclusion on both aspects of research.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 24
Chapter 4
Results
In this section, the results were derived by two methods i.e. quantitative and qualitative
from the research conducted. The quantitative research method was applied on the first research
question regarding the effect of homework on student achievement in primary grades. For this
research, the data was collected from thirty students of grade three. The class was divided into
groups of fifteen each, where one group was tested after being assigned homework and the other
group was tested without being assigned homework. Cycles of three tests were conducted to get
a more accurate result for the research.
Quantitative Analysis
Hypothesis: The effect of homework has no significant effect on student performance
Null Hypothesis: Ho: μhk = μwhk
There is not any significance relationship between homework and student achievement
Alternative Hypothesis: H*: μhk ≠ μwhk
There is significant relationship between homework and student achievement
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 25
Table1
Group Statistics of student’s test scores
Student Groups M S.D S.E df t sig(2-tailed)
Test score 1
With Homework
11.216
1.068
.275
Test score 1
Without Homework
7.80
1.73
.448
Test score 2
With Homework
11.51
1.09
.281
Test score 2
Without Homework
5.70
1.24
.321
Test score 3
With Homework
12.08
1.084
.279
Test score 3
Without Homework
5.06
1.62
.420
As table, one shows the means of the groups with homework and the standard deviation
which both vary. The overall scores of the group with homework have a mean of 11.60 as
compared to the group without homework has a mean of 6.18
Since 2 tailed significance (P value)is 6.847 for test 1, 13.614 for test two and 13.833 for
tests 3, thus the overall effect on test scores due to homework 0.00(P0.05) there H* is rejected. It
implies that there are significant differences between the mean ratings of test score for groups
with homework and the group without homework.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 26
Qualitative analysis
The data for qualitative analysis was collected through focused group interviews where
researcher interviewed six focus groups with five participants each. The questions were semi
structured and open-ended in which the interviewer focused on children’s opinions thoughts and
feelings about daily homework for their grade level. The focus group questions are in Appendix
D.
The four major themes that emerged from the interview conducted by the researcher from
students of grade 3 were (a) interesting homework (b) short homework (c) timely submission and
feedback (d) valuable.
Interesting Homework. The students of grade 3 were of the opinion that when they get
interesting assignments as homework, they enjoy doing it but if the homework is not interesting
and is repetition of classwork, they find it very boring and tedious task. One boy said that he
found math and science homework more interesting compared to language homework.
Homework of literature and language require a lot of writing and its gets boring. According to a
student:
“Science research is so much fun but language and literature homework is boring.
Moreover, students get bored of doing the same work at home, which they have already
done in class. One boy said mentioned that:
“When we get the same kind of homework as we did in class, I don’t like doing it as it is
very monotonous”
The researcher observed that submission of math and science homework was on time
always as compared to language or literature homework where the students made excuses and
did not submit it on time.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 27
The students were more enthusiastic about assignments that involved either group work
like projects or independent work which involved research. The most interesting daily homework
that students preferred was math. As one interviewee explained:
“Math is the most interesting subject to get homework in as its challenging and more fun”
The teacher reflected that math class is always very interactive and lots of participation
by the students thus they were enthusiastic when the teacher announces math homework because
they enjoy and learn at the same time.
The students did not prefer homework that requires writing from the textbook or rewriting
what they had done in classwork as revision. They prefer homework, which makes them learn
something different from their classwork. Another student related his experience:
“Any homework involving copying something from the text book is boring”
Students feel they are constantly doing repetitive work at home and take it as a burden on
them; they enjoy it only when the teacher gives creative task as homework in form of projects,
research work or challenging math questions. One student suggested:
“Math is so much fun we should get more brain quest type questions to make math
interesting then doing questions in the workbook.”
It is concluded most of the students were of the opinion that it is more fun to do homework,
which is interesting as they considered task, which are same as classwork boring. Mundane routine
task always get late submission and thinking and research homework motivates the students to
submit it on time.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 28
Short Homework. Most of the students prefer homework to be short assignments and less time
consuming because most of the students have after school sports, extra remedial classes and co-
curricular activities going on throughout the week. Therefore getting lengthy assignments causes
stress to the students, as they are unable to finish their homework on time. One of the students
pointed out:
“When we get long assignments as homework on weekdays it is difficult to finish them
especially when its language homework where we have to write a story.”
Some of the students feel that homework was eating up all of their free time at home and
all they do when they reach home is first worry about the homework and then try to finish the
incomplete classwork or do the homework. The students prefer homework assignments on
weekends when they have more time. A student elaborated his feelings in the following words:
“I don’t like doing homework if it is lengthy as it takes up all my free time at home and I
don’t get to play with my friends in the park. Longer assignments should be given for weekends.”
Most of the students preferred getting short homework on a daily basis so that they can be
done with it quickly. Students showed negative attitude when they get two to three subjects
“When we get homework and have a test also the next day, it gets really difficult to work
and learn for the test”
As explained above students have busy schedules after school on weekdays so they prefer
shorter homework and more lengthy homework or projects on weekends. They also showed
disappointment when they had to skip their classes after school due to the pressure of homework.
One student shared his struggle when he voiced her frustration:
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 29
“I had to give up my afterschool music lessons on weekdays as I was always stressed
about doing my homework.”
Another issue mentioned by the students was that some homework required parents help
and they had to wait for their parents to come home from work to finish the homework. They
believed difficult tasks, which require parent supervision or assistant should be given on the
weekend to save the student’s time and avoid the stress caused to them with such assignments.
One of the students mentioned her dilemma by saying:
“Many times I don’t understand parts of my homework so I have to wait for my dad to
come and help me with homework and then there is no free time left for me.”
During the class, the researcher reflected the students would protest to the teacher when
given homework which they felt was lengthy and required a lot of time on a weekday. Students’
mostly submitted half-done assignments if the task was difficult or required parent’s assistance
and complained that their parents did not have the time to help them on a busy weekday.
Timely submission and Feedback. Nearly all the students expressed a positive attitude
towards homework and they knew it was for their learning and helped them in their academic
life. They feel burdened at times but try to submit the work on time to their teachers. The
students make all efforts for timely submission but have experienced that they do not get the
feedback from teachers immediately, which diminishes the importance of homework for them. A
student shared an experience by stating that:
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 30
“I usually get math homework daily, which I submit the very next day, but my teacher
doesn’t check my work on time and gives more homework so I don’t know whether I am doing it
right or not.”
Students want quick feedback on their homework to assure them that their work is correct
or they are making mistakes. They do their homework sometimes by sacrificing their playtime
and activities so they are looking forward to teachers verbal or written comments regarding the
homework submitted. One student shared his habit:
“When I submit my homework and get it checked I always go through my mistakes and
try to improve my work”
It is a great way for student to learn from their mistakes and revise their work. According
to the students that they do not understand it, they take it back to the teacher to explain once
again to them. This way they do not feel stressed, as the teacher is willing to explain the concept
or the work to them again. One student explained his approach to homework:
“Sometimes I don’t understand my homework so I take it back to my teacher so she can
explain it to me again.”
The researcher observed that students expect feedback and undermining their need for it
damages the importance of homework. Timely feedback should be priority for teachers
especially in lessons where a difficult concept is being taught to the students. It helps students to
self-check their work and clear their misconceptions.
The student’s responses indicate that they want quick feedback for the homework they
have submitted by the teachers. They look forward for the teacher’s comments about their work
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 31
and get demotivated when their timely submission is not appreciated in the form of positive or
negative feedback, which would help them to improve their work further.
Valuable for students. The majority of the students feel homework is necessary for them
and very valuable for their education. It is a very good form of revision and helps in exam
preparations. The homework assigned equips the students for next day classwork and they feel
more confident in class during the lessons. In a grade three student’s opinion:
“When I get homework about a topic it makes my understanding better of the topic and I
am able to better understand the lesson in class the next day.”
Students were in favor of getting math homework daily as they feel that it was practice of
concepts and methods and helped them get good grades in the subject. The more they practiced
math the better they understood the concepts. Students were enthusiastic about math and one
student commented that:
“Math homework makes me smarter I get good marks in all my tests”
This positive approach is due to the fact students realized that homework is an important
part of their academic life and it is not always a burden but a form of learning outside
classrooms. One student mentioned how homework helps him prepare for exams:
“When I get homework daily not only it helps me remember what I have done in class but
also helps me get prepared for exams as it is a form of revision.”
On analyzing the focus group interviews of the students of grade three, several themes
have emerged which interpret their thoughts feelings and attitude towards homework. Overall,
the students are aware of the value of homework in their lives and its benefits in their academic
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 32
progress. However, the students feel that homework should be interesting and creative rather
than the monotonous task of copying from the textbooks or repetition of classwork. Students
were enthusiastic of being assigned projects and research work than language or literature
homework. They preferred getting short homework assignments on weekdays and wanted more
time for lengthy assignments and test preparations. The students were of the opinion that they
want quick feedback from the teachers after their submission of homework as it helps them in
learning from their mistakes.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 33 Chapter 5
Discussion
This research was carried out based on Cooper’s theory about homework and student
achievement, this section summarizes the findings, and the analysis conducted. Most of the
research in this area has been carried out in the western or European countries; in our knowledge,
this study is the first of its kind in Pakistan regarding homework and its effect on student
achievement in primary grades of a private school. Pakistan is part of Asia where, homework is
an integral part of school going students‟ lives therefore it was necessary to conduct a study on
what are the effects of homework on their overall achievement. The research was based in a
private school in upscale area of Karachi, where a policy of homework was already being
implemented on all grade levels. Student where given ten minutes of homework daily in primary
grades and one hour of homework in secondary grades of the school. Everyday subject
homework was scheduled and the students were asked to submit the homework the next day.
During the research, the grade three students were divided into two groups and their test scores
analyzed to study the effect of homework on student achievement and the attitude of students
towards homework.
The present findings on the research on effect of homework on student achievement have
confirmed that homework does have an effect on student achievement even in primary classes.
Furthermore, the attitude of students was positive when assigned the right amount of homework
on a daily basis. According to research, homework gives extra time away from school for
students to learn and understand at their own pace (Villas-Boas, 1998). The study also concluded
that although homework affects students‟ achievement and attitude but it is dependent upon
many variables, which were, absent in Cooper’s research on homework. Some of the literature in
the study supported Cooper’s theory of homework and its effect on student achievement in
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 34
Secondary grades, however, the results support that homework has a positive effect on student
achievement in primary grades as well. Students need to consciously work for their learning and
homework is an effective tool for them (Minke, 2017). Teachers, school administrators and
parents all need to work collectively to plan and implement homework to increase student
achievement to the maximum and keep motivating them to participate in their own learning by
having a positive attitude towards homework.
Quantitative Means
The purpose of this study was the impact of homework on student achievement in
primary grades in private schools. In Pakistan where homework is part of daily school life and
the study carried out on grade three students resulted are higher test grades for students who were
assigned daily homework for their science lesson. Small quizzes as well as end of unit test all
yielded higher test scores for student after doing homework as compared to students who did not
receive any homework from the teachers after their science lessons. The mean of the test score of
students without homework are-7.80 as compared to the mean of the score of the test of the
students with homework is 11.2167. Thus, there is a significance difference between the two and
the research leads to the conclusion that homework does have a positive effect on student
achievement in primary grades. Literature review also supports the results as many studies
conducted in the west suggest that if students spend enough time on homework with a positive
attitude and parental support it has a positive effect on their academic skills (Sharma, 2013).
According to Cooper, second graders should not be assigned two hours of homework at all and
homework should be given in higher primary classes such as grade four onwards. However, the
research has concluded that in Pakistan context homework in primary grades helps in a positive
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 35
academic achievement. Small amount of homework daily is beneficial for students in primary
classes as well (Minke, 2017).
The research was conducted in a manner that whatever was being taught in science class
was followed by homework on the same topic. The type of homework that was assigned was not
repetitive or rote learning rather it was inquiry-based research related to their class lesson.
During the research, I observed that due to inquiry based homework the engagement level of
the homework was high and the response in class on science lessons next day were much more
productive which lead to a better understanding of concepts. The results demonstrated that the
student’s performance on test scores were higher after being assigned homework on the same
topic as compared to students test scores without homework assignments. Thus from the results
it is clear that it is beneficial to assign homework in primary classes. To be fair in the outcome of
the results the tests were conducted three times on different topics in science to minimize other
factors influencing students test performances and achieve a fair result. According to Cooper
(2016), second graders should not be assigned two hours of homework but that does not mean no
homework is assigned on a daily basis. A small amount of homework daily is beneficial for
students in primary classes as well. The scores of end of unit test on the science unit after
assigning homework for several weeks has yielded comparatively better test scores in the class.
However, this does not imply that any time of homework will result in positive effect; there are
many variables, like frequency, student attitude and parent involvement. These variables are not
the same everywhere; it depends on the social, economic and culture of the country and the
school.
The teachers are the ones who instill the value of homework for the students (Minke,
2017).The teachers have to keep in mind when planning, the best kind of homework which
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 36
should broaden student understanding and build on essential skills. Another aspect that has
emerged during observations by the researcher is the positive effect of homework on student
achievement, which benefits from giving choice to the students about the type of homework they
like to receive for a subject (Cooper & Patall, 2006). Providing student with choices in their
classroom environment including choice of homework increases their engagement in the task and
helps them to not only to retain what is being taught but also increase their academic
achievement (Patall, Cooper, & Wynn, 2010). Homework is an extension of the students learning
and it is provides a window to parents into their children’s schools learning (Homework Policy,
2017). This research has shed light on what kind of homework is beneficial in the end, which
will effect student achievement. Firstly, teachers with a specific, explicit learning purpose should
assign homework tasks. Secondly, the quantity of homework needs to be manageable. Thirdly, it
must build on knowledge, skills and understanding developed in class. Thus, homework is an
integral part of school going children in primary classes in private school in Karachi and it is
considered valuable when it is undertaken with planning and proper support from school and
home.
Qualitative Analysis
The second part of the research was conducted from the student’s point of view about
homework and how they perceive it and what is their attitude towards it. The research was
conducted through qualitative methods of focus group interviews and researchers reflection,
which were recorded throughout the first term of grade three in a private school in Karachi,
Pakistan. Class of thirty students were divided into groups of four and the researcher conducted
focused group interviews and asked semi structure questions regarding homework, their
perception about it, and its value in their lives. Homework is an extension of classwork and it
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 37
enables them to give extra time outside the classroom to their learning, but the main question
remains what are the student’s attitudes towards homework as a part of their daily lives (Shiekh,
2016). Throughout the interviews, the students had voiced their opinions about homework and
four prominent themes have emerged.
Interesting Homework. The main theme that emerged from the interviews with the
students was the kind of homework they preferred. Majority of the students agreed that math and
science were their most favorite subjects in which they did not mind getting homework
assignments because they are interesting subjects and they enjoyed learning new topics. They
further agreed that doing math is fun when they understand the concept and enjoy doing it for
homework also. Besides math, the student preferred research and inquiry based homework for
science and social studies and had a positive effect on their attitudes well as achievement (Yiğit,
2015). They enjoyed assignments where they had to do research about something individually or
as group projects and get a chance to share their work with their peers and teachers.
Throughout the research, there is very little that supports that the traditional homework
system improves achievement, grades, and builds character (kohn, 2006). Kohn believes the
“homework myth” actually has a negative effect on a child’s interest in learning and homework
actually becomes a burden for them. Therefore, according to Cooper, if you want to build student
responsibility and the love of independent learning, assignments should be designed so that it
motivates the student’s to complete the assignments and benefit them. According to my
researchers observations of the student’s timely submission for science and math homework was
higher as compared to that of other subjects especially language and literature. This proved that
students dread long homework assignments, which are repetitive of tasks done in the classroom
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 38
or copying from the textbook. Homework is constantly competing with life activities on
children’s time and if the homework is not interesting, the students will not be motivated to
attempt it.
In Pakistan, the homework practices are mostly mundane rote learning task that are either
copying from the textbook or questions in the workbook similar to that of textbook which is a
very traditional approach to homework (Butler & Jocelyn, 1987). The students conveyed their
disapproval for this kind of homework and felt it was a burden for them and they were stressed
about completing and submitting it on time. It is important here to highlight that the method by
which the homework assigned to students plays a big role in its effect on the student’s attitude
(Fernández-Alonso, Álvarez-Día, Suárez-Álvare, & Muñiz, 2017). Therefore, homework should
be clear with specific instructions so there is no confusion at home as well (Medwell & Wray,
2018). Furthermore, the submission criteria should not be the same; rather it should vary
according to students capabilities (Cooper,1989).According to literature review homework falls
into three categories practice, preparation and extension of their classwork so, the teachers should
plan the homework in their lesson plans accordingly (Sinha, Emerging Ed Tech , 2018).
Secondly, the task assigned should be relatable to the lessons as well interesting enough to
compel the students to attempt it at home with ease and enjoy doing it (Mata, Monteiro, &
Peixoto, 2012). Teacher observed that students brought back incomplete homework on
assignments that were hard to understand or difficult to do on their own independently. The
researcher further recorded the student’s attitude towards mundane task as very negative and
submission very delayed. Another important thing to highlight is the feedback received from
students about how homework should be differentiated with keeping in mind the academic
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 39
capabilities of all the students in the class (Catalano, 2017). This research proves that interest in
the homework plays a big part in students attempting and submitting the homework on time.
Short Homework. Homework is the reinforcement of skill taught in class and has been
proven to instill good working habits and responsibility in the student’s attitudes (Cooper &
Patall, 2006). This is reflected through the quality of the work submitted as homework. It has
been verified through thus that homework is effective not only when it is interesting but also
short and relevant. Homework is a daily task in schools of Karachi and the students need to take
out precious time from their daily lives after school. This means they have to juggle their
homework between extra-curricular activities and outdoor sports activities. The focus group
interviews with the students resulted in them expressing concern over the length of homework
assigned. According to the study, it was very stressful for students to do assignments’ that are
lengthy or require rote memorization for a test on weekdays and consequently they have no time
left for after school activities. During the research, it was observed that the percentage of lengthy
homework submitted on time is drastically low and students tend to bring unfinished homework
back to school (Hayward, 2010). The students were of the opinion that they felt burdened with
long homework assignments, which not only caused stressed to them but also made their parents
stressed too (Medwell & Wray, 2018). A very negative attitude was felt by the research about
teacher’s lack of understanding when giving long homework on weekdays, which resulted in
students spending the whole day doing homework. It has been proven through research that
teachers usually underestimate the amount required by students to complete the homework
(Butler & Jocelyn, Homework, 1987). The right amount of homework requires proper planning
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 40
and coordination among teachers before assigning the tasks to the students. (Fernández-Alonso,
Álvarez-Día, Suárez-Álvare, & Muñiz, 2017)
The age of students in primary class of grade three is between eight and nine years, at this
age children learn through experiential learning. Trapping them at home with long homework
assignments after school has a negative impact on their overall personality development (Göllner
& al, 2017). Young students while growing up need good play conditioned for over all
harmonious cognitive and socio economic learning (Kjerstilien, 2016). Furthermore,
Kjerstilien,(2016) research has shown that meditation , being close to nature and relaxing and
doing something truly enjoyable are the things which we do in our spare time that make us
smarter in our work life. Thus, it is interesting to note that only short homework, which is
relevant for the students, will be more effective for not only their academic but overall mental
development also.
Timely submission and feedback. The research has proved that homework has an overall
positive effect on all levels of student achievement. However, an important question arisen
during the research as to why are teachers so fixed on deadlines? Whenever homework is
allocated to students, the teachers give a set time for submission, which is mandatory. However,
the submission depends on the type of students who are attempting it. There are two types of
students: those who submit their homework on time and there are those who are mentally and
physically involved at home due to various reasons (Baher, 2017). Thus, the second categories
of students are unable to submit homework on time and they feel stressed about the deadlines.
Each student is different and unique, and has a varied opinion about different subjects taught in
class, resulting in their mixed capabilities to attempt the homework and submit it (Mehmood,
Ahmed, & Sultana, 2012).
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 41
Therefore, each student should be provided with the adequate time depending on his or her
individual capacity to submit homework, as stated in research that the achievement level depends
on the amount of homework completed and submitted to the teacher (Cooper & Patall, 2006).
This does not mean that homework cannot be fun and exciting. It is the teacher’s responsibility
to assign homework particularly with clear instructions and some margin for delayed
submissions if need be (Butler & Jocelyn, Homework, 1987).The teachers give importance to
homework through clear instruction and checking them on time. Indeed, they understand their
students and can identify what are the key motivators for them to complete their homework and
submit it on time (Kjerstilien, 2016).
There are many factors for timely submission but one major factor the research has
identified is the timely feedback of teachers to students on the homework they have submitted.
The interviews of the students led to the conclusion that students are expecting feedback from
the teachers for the homework they have submitted. They look for the feedback to further
improve their work and clear their concepts. Subsequently when the teachers check their work
and convey the feedback orally or written the students feel their efforts have been acknowledged
and appreciated. Feedback is crucial for homework assignments but timely feedback is essential
(Kehrer, Kelly, & Heffernan, 2013). Moreover, timely feedback affects the working habits of the
student; they take up homework tasks with responsibility and submit their work on time.
Students complete more homework when the teachers collect it review the work in class and give
immediate feedback (Butler & Jocelyn, 1987). Timely feedback is an intrinsic motivation tool for
students who have shown more efforts in doing their work when they are aware that they will get
feedback on it from their teachers. Delayed feedbacks are less effective in students learning as it
is possible for a student to reinforce a misconception of the content by making the same
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 42
mistake repeatedly without check from the teachers (Kehrer, Kelly, & Heffernan, 2013).
According to Kehrer(2013) without immediate feedback the students keep making the mistake
again and eventually will have to recondition their concept after receiving feedback. Thus, it is
concluded that immediate feedback is essential to clear misconceptions as well as improve
learning outside classrooms. It also increases intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation in the
students (Kehrer, Kelly, & Heffernan, 2013)
Valuable for Students. The research and the literature review both support the theory that
students perceive homework as very important for their academic achievement and adds value to
their learning. The results show that the students feel homework is a good way of revision for
tests as well as examination. Teachers have a clear idea what is meant by good homework,
which caters to the interests of the students and is adopted according to their abilities: provides
challenging and inquiry based tasks, which motivates them to do their homework and bring
value to their learning (Baher, 2017). A popular explanation according to Vygotsky, is that
student’s should be able to process their learning and this will happen only when students are
motivated by the homework because of its importance for them as an extension of their learning
outside the classroom. Homework also has value for not only teaching academics but also help
students organize, time management and school-social life balance (Kjerstilien, 2016). The
concept of getting feedback and reviewing their homework to make corrections make them more
responsible and helps them consolidate their learning in the classroom.
There are three types of homework according to (Minke, 2017) practice, preparation, and
extension, these practices can be used by teachers when planning homework while keeping in
mind the learning intentions of the lesson and make the homework more meaningful for the
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 43
students. Firstly, if the teacher is aiming for more practice in math then practice questions can be
given as homework. Secondly, preparation homework is used for preparing for the next lesson
and thirdly extension homework focuses on promoting the shift of previous learning to new tasks
(Minke, 2017). Together , the present finding confirm student perceive homework as valuable for
their learning if the teacher assigns homework planned according to the needs of the classroom
learning and student academic level. Homework at primary level should be voluntary and stress
free, thus written assignments should only be considered valuable rather special projects,
additional reading for pleasure, worked missed due to absence may all be a proper basis for
homework.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 44
Chapter 6
Conclusions
This research was conducted to measure the impact of homework on students‟ academic
achievement in primary grades and to find out students approach towards homework on a daily
basis in primary grades. The data gathered from the study reveals that that homework has an overall
positive effect on student academic scores, if the homework assignments are according to the
students’ academic needs and create motivation in them to finish and submit it on time. The
quantitative test scores helped us to find that the academic achievement of students, which show a
positive sign when they are assigned homework. Evidence from literature review has proved that
homework is given to reinforce the learning of the classroom.
In the qualitative part of the research, the focus was the attitude and perception of students
regarding homework. Data was collected through focus group interviews and the students
expressed their opinion about the type of homework that should be given. The studied proved the
fact that students know that homework is beneficial for them and is a tool for revision of concepts
and preparation for exams. The students also showed a positive attitude towards homework if the
teachers assign interesting and short homework on a daily basis. They wanted short assignments on
weekdays so they are able to finish it quickly. Secondly, the homework should be interesting and
different from the classwork otherwise the students get bored and are not motivated to submit it. A very
important point was the students‟ expectations of receiving immediate feedback from teachers after
submitting homework. Otherwise, they feel that their efforts have not been appreciated and there has
been no learning from their homework. Students feel motivated to correct their mistakes and reinforce
their concepts when teachers provide feedback on the homework assignment submitted. Sometimes
students are confused as to why do they have to do homework which is similar to classwork. Therefore,
they felt that homework should be a task, which helps them increases their concept, and thus preferred
project based homework which includes research and sharing their work in the class with their peers.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 45
This suggests that learning is aided by doing. The current homework policy of school is daily ten-minute
homework for two subjects, which is sufficient, but sometimes the home works are overlapping with
each other, which create confusion for the students. This creates burden on the student and parents who
have to help the students manage their homework. Hence, students got anxious when the instructions
were not clear and the tasks not well defined.
Recommendations
Based on the results achieved through the research, the following recommendations are
presented.
A balance has to be created by the school administration and teachers where a strict
homework policy is maintained.
The homework policy should be designed keeping in mind the students learning
objectives and success criteria.
Daily homework should be short and relevant to the class learning.
Homework should be more research and inquiry based.
Homework task should be assigned with specific instructions.
Homework should be engaging and planned in such a way that it revises the previous
concepts as well as prepares them for the lesson in the next class.
Group work and projects should be given over the weekend.
A system of flexible submission methods needs to be implemented to bring ease to
students so they do not develop a negative attitude towards homework.
Timely feedback should be given by the teacher to help clear concepts.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 46
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HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 51 Appendix A
Science Test
Name
Date
Total Marks 10
Skeleton
Group A Group B
Upper arm bone Thigh bone
Shin bone
Rib Skull
Hipbone
(a) How are the above bones grouped?
(b) In which group would you put a piece of finger bone?
Q2) look at the pictures of the skull and ribcage
How similar?
They are both
How different with regards to
Appearance
function
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 52
Appendix B
Science Test 2
Name
Date
Q1a) what is a joint?
JOINTS
Total marks 10
(b)For each of the following joints, give one example of where it can be found in your body?
Joints Where it can be found
1.Hinge
2.Ball and socket
Joints
This is a ball This is a joint
Q2 (a) Give an example of how joint A helps in our movement?
(b) What happens if we do not have joint B in our body?
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 53
Science Test 3
Name
Date
Appendix C MUSCLES
Total marks 10
Q1) What ARE VOLUNTARY AND INVOLANTARY MUSCLES? State two examples of
each.
Voluntary muscles
Examples
Involuntary Muscles
Examples
Mention any two ways in which we can take care of our bones.
HOMEWORK AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 54
Appendix D
Focus Group Questions
Q1.Do you all like getting homework?
Q2.What one mind comes in your mind when you think of homework?
Q3.What is the subject you like most getting homework in?
Q4.Do you want homework every day?
Q5.What other subjects you prefer to get homework for?
Q6.Do you get enough time to do your homework?
Q7. Why do you think you get homework?
Q8. Do you feel burdened when you get homework?
Q9. One word that comes to your mind when you think about homework.
Q10. Do you feel stressed about homework?
Do you do your homework by yourself or do you need help with homework?