PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK HOW STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS PERCEIVE THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK AS IT RELATES TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

The State University of New York At Potsdam PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK: HOW STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS PERCEIVE THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK AS IT RELATES TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT By Joseph E Boyle A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The School of Education and Professional Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Education Potsdam, New York 17 April 2008 This thesis entitled PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK: HOW STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS PERCEIVE THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK AS IT RELATES TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT By Joseph E Boyle Has been approved for the School of Education and Professional Studies Dr Kathleen Valentine _ Date Dr William Amoriell _ Date The final copy of the above mentioned thesis has been examined by the signatories and found to meet acceptable standards for scholarly work in the discipline in both form and content PERMISSION TO COPY I grant The State University of New York College at Potsdam the non-exclusive right to use this work for the University’s own purposes and to make single copies of the work available to the public on a not-for-profit basis if copies are not otherwise available Joseph E Boyle _ Date Abstract In this age of high-stakes standardized testing, it is important that students develop a deep understanding of relevant subject matter In general, this level of understanding is not being achieved, according to recent test scores (Beaton et al., 1996) One plausible explanation for this underachievement is that too many students assign little value to the regular and consistent completion of assigned homework As a first step in understanding why too many students underachieve academically, it is important that we understand how students, teachers, parents and guardians perceive the value of homework as it relates to students’ academic achievement Chapter One Purpose of the Study This study will be undertaken to investigate how teachers, their students, and the students’ parent(s) or guardian(s) perceive the value of homework, as it relates to deepening and broadening students’ understanding of material presented in the classroom The results of this investigation shall improve the lives and the academic experiences of students, teachers, and parents and guardians Research Questions The following questions will guide this study: How students perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student academic success? How parents and guardians perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student academic success? How teachers perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student academic success? Rationale During the past one-hundred years, the attitudes of educators and the general public toward homework have changed several times (Cooper, Lindsay, Nye, & Greathouse, 1998) Early in the 20th century, in the late 1950s, and presently, homework is and has been regarded as a positive influence on a student’s academic achievement During this time period, homework has been considered important for several reasons: 1) homework is a means of disciplining students’ minds, 2) homework is a viable method of increasing the rigor of a student’s academic experience, 3) homework can lead to the improvement of students’ scores on achievement tests, 4) because homework can lead to academic achievement, and 5) homework is a means elevating America’s competitive position in an increasingly global economy Conversely, in the 1940s and mid-1960s, homework was seen as inhibiting the development of students’ problem-solving abilities and as adding excessive pressure on students to succeed Assuming that it is true that one’s attitude affects one’s behavior (Kraus, 1995), and that in upper grades (6-12) there is a positive relation between students’ completion of homework and their academic achievement (Cooper, Lindsay, Nye, & Greathouse, 1998), it is important to understand the academic value that upper grade level students, their parents or guardians, and their teachers assign to the regular completion of homework Assumptions Throughout this study, the following will be assumed: In general, students who regularly complete assigned homework develop a deeper understanding of the academic material related to the assignment Homework assignments are given to promote student understanding of concepts identified as learning objectives within the curriculum Students’ perceptions of the academic value of homework are strongly influenced by their parents’ or guardians’ views The attitudes of individuals affect their behaviors Because they perceive homework as having little impact on their academic success, some students are apathetic toward the regular completion of homework Homework is assigned most regularly in mathematics classes at Carthage Central School District Since the eighth-grade prepares students for the rigor of high school and eleventh-grade students are apt to have developed firm beliefs on the academic value of homework, eighth-grade and eleventh-grade students are appropriate participants in this study Definition of Terms Standardized Test: An assessment instrument that utilizes fixed, unchanging procedures for administration and scoring The results, or test scores, have been shown to be reliable and valid through empirical study Using consistent, set procedures eliminates variables affecting test performance, including variations in instructions, scoring procedures, time limits or procedural order Results obtained may then be compared to other scores from the same test Because the standardization procedures help eliminate possible confounding influences, any differences in test scores may, at least theoretically, be attributed to true differences in performance (Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p 335) High-stakes testing: An approach to gathering information through testing programs on student and school performance at the state and/or local level In high-stakes testing, test results are directly correlated with individual student achievement and school accountability Important decisions, such as school finance and student grade promotion, are made based on test results (Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p 166) Homework: Tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are meant to be performed during nonschool hours (Cooper, 1989, p 7) Skill Sets: A collection of skills needed to perform a task or complete an assignment For example, to answer the question posed in a certain math word problem, a student may need a set of skills which include reading, modeling, algebra, and arithmetic Teaching Strategy: A teachers plan to affect the learning objectives of the curriculum Learning Objective: A statement of the desired outcome(s) of an educational activity, naming what learners can expect to gain or be able to as a result of that activity (Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p 202) Formative Activity: Student centered activities, as opposed to a teacher centered activity, such as lecturing, used to improve the student’s conceptualization of a theory, property, model, or notion For example, the use of manipulatives or algebra blocks in mathematics class Group Homework or Project: Homework or projects assigned to be completed by a group of students, rather than individual students Correlation Coefficient: A unitless measurement used to describe the strength of the linear association that exists between two variables (Brase & Brase, 2001, p 143) 10 Average/Mean: The sum of all of the exact values of the entries divided by the number of entries 11 Member Check: A technique to address the validity of a qualitative study The researcher solicits feedback from the research participants concerning the accuracy and completeness of the researcher’s analysis, interpretation, and understanding of the data (Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p 217) 12 Peer Check: A technique to address the validity of a qualitative study The researcher solicits feedback from appropriate professional colleagues concerning the accuracy and completeness of the researcher’s analysis, interpretation, and understanding of the data (adapted from Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p 217) 13 Triangulation: A process used to support the validity of a study Data are collected using a variety (not necessarily three as the name implies) of techniques Findings are enhanced by using data gathered from a variety of techniques such as: multiple human sources (e.g., roles/positions of people related to the issue), multiple methods (e.g., observations, focus groups), multiple investigators, archival records (e.g., student records, written policy), and/or multiple theoretical perspectives (Collins & O’Brien, 2003, p 363) 14 Assessment: Teacher evaluation of assignments for the generation of student grades, which could be either holistic or constructive in nature 15 Affective factors: Includes those factors, which may be driven or impacted by emotion 10 16 Knowledge base: Readily retrievable information that a student needs to build upon as learning progresses 17 Scaffolding: Teaching strategy, which involves the building upon of several required layers of skills to achieve a more complex result 18 Mastery: This level is achieved when a student demonstrates that he/she has a solid understanding of a certain skill and is ready to apply that skill 19 Higher order thought processes: These thought processes potentially involve the application of previous skills to generate new meaning or to infer new thoughts 20 Culminating: This term can be used to describe an assignment that is to be completed when a student must use new knowledge that has been learned during a given period of time which allows the student to understand the relationship of this information 21 Likert Scale: A Likert scale asks participants to respond to a series of statements indicating whether they strongly agree, agree, are undecided, disagree, or strongly disagree with each statement Each response corresponds with a point value and a score is determined by adding the point value for each statement (Mills, 2003, p 65) 22 Constructive Feedback: Occurs when a teacher assesses a student’s homework by giving detailed comments that will allow the student to understand the positive and negative attributes of his/her work 65 CAN I CHANGE MY MIND AND QUIT? If you decide to take part in the study, you still have the right to change your mind later No one will think badly of you if you decide to quit Also, the people who are running this study may need for you to stop If this happens, they will tell you why WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS? You can ask questions about this study at any time You can talk with your parents or other adults that you trust about this study You can talk with the people who are asking you to volunteer If you think of other questions later, you can ask them Assent to Participate I understand what the people running this study is asking me to I have thought about this and agree to take part in this study _ Name of person agreeing to take part in the study _ Date _ Name of person providing information to subject _ Date (Adapted from University of South Florida, 2004.) 66 Appendix F Joseph Boyle’s Audit Trail Journal July 8, 2005 • Attended first session of GRED 660 in which Dr Valentine presented Teacher Action Research notes o Received Outlines and Instructions for research paper o Assigned to group to propose research that investigates the issue of homework among secondary students The group had some discussion as to the development of the paper’s thesis statement o Group members are myself, Paula Spaulding and Richard Gilchrist • Group members began chapter one of the research paper and completed a rough draft of four paragraphs of chapter one July 9, 2005 • Attended a presentation given by Holly Chambers in the Crumb library o Reviewed research tools on the network o Began research using ERIC, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and others  Obtained the following article • Relationships Among Attitudes About Homework, Amount of Homework Assigned and Completed, and Student Achievement – Cooper, Lindsay, Nye and Greathouse 67 o Requested the following articles: Who’s Childhood? The Politics of Homework - Smith; Homework, Re-examining the routine – North July 10, 2005 • Read the Cooper, Lindsay, Nye and Greathouse article, took notes and highlighted main points of article, began list of defined terms • Reviewed and outlined APA citation and began recording notes, quotations with the appropriate citations July 11, 2005 • Received through interlibrary loan, printed the following articles: Whose Childhood? The Politics of Homework - Smith; Homework, Re-examining the routine – North • Began reviewing the North article Recorded several quotations with appropriate citations July 15, 2005 • Continued to research articles through Crumb Library ILL and online search tools Obtained the following articles: Putting an End to the Battle Over Homework, Lacina-Gifford and Gifford • Completed review of Smith article • Compiled a list of assumptions • Received the following article from P Spaulding When Mom and Dad Help: Student Reflections on Parent Involvement with Homework, Balli • Began the Citiprogram assigned reading finished the Belmont Report and Module I 68 July 16, 2005 • Group discussed the status of the document including the Assumptions, Limitations, Participants, and Criteria for the Selection of Participants, Methodology, Rationale for Methodology, and Procedure used for Gathering Data • Group members were assigned to work on portions of the document • Completed review of remaining research articles • Began first draft of the Literature Review July 22, 2005 • Met as a group to review the status of the document • At the request of R Gilchrist, I began researching socio-economic statistics for the Town of Champion and general statistics for the Carthage Central School District • Completed the first draft of the literature review • Received and reviewed the literature review section of P Spaulding and R Gilchrist • Submitted copies of literature review to Spaulding and Gilchrist for review July 23, 2005 • Met as a group to review the status of the document • Incorporated my draft of the literature review into the main document • Met with Dr Valentine to present the draft copy of the Research Proposal Took notes made preparations for editing 69 • Group decided that Boyle would edit the main document as per suggestions by Dr Valentine July 25, 2005 • Edited main document and sent copy to Gilchrist August 1, 2005 • The group scheduled to meet at SUNY Potsdam I was absent due to an emergency August 4, 2005 • Met with group to edit and finalize the Research Proposal and the PowerPoint presentation • Incorporated and edited the Carthage School District demographical section in to the final document • Completed the remaining Citigroup modules • Reviewed final copy of PowerPoint presentation, created cue notes in preparation for final presentation August 5, 2005 • Group presentation of the final research proposal at SUNY Potsdam to the Educational Research class and Dr Valentine 70 Rick Gilchrist’s Audit Trail Journal July 8, 2005 • Attended first class of GRED 660: Education Research Groups were formed based on common areas of interest The members of our group are Joe Boyle, Paula Spaulding, and Rick Gilchrist Our team seeks to answer the following question: How students, teachers, parents and guardians perceive the academic value of homework? • Dr Valentine presented Teacher Action Research from a historical, theoretical, and practical perspective • Reviewed the outline and format for Teacher Action Research reports • Group members discussed and outlined the particulars of the study, writing the first draft of the following sections of our document: Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Research Questions Rationale July 9, 2005 • Attended a discussion, in the Crumb Library, lead by Ms Holly Chambers and hosted by Dr Valentine This presentation focused on appropriate and practical methods of performing literature reviews of pertinent research documents Also, performing searches on ERIC was discussed in depth 71 July 11, 2005 • Started literature search and review of research documents related to parents and guardians’ perception of the academic value of homework • Rewrote the Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Research Questions, and Rationale sections of our document In particular, broke our initial research question into the following distinct questions: How students perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student success? How parents and guardians perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student success? How teachers perceive the value of homework, as it relates to academic success? July 12, 2005 • Met with Dr Valentine to review our document and discuss preliminary results of my literature review • Rewrote Rationale portion of our document, based on Dr Valentine’s input • Continued literature search July 13, 2005 • Met with Mr Frank Moulton of the Crumb Library staff to discuss methods for both expanding and refining my search parameters for my literature review Further, received instruction on locating and printing documents stored on microfiche 72 • Selected papers authored by Friesen—The Results of Surveys, Questionnaires and Polls Regarding Homework—and Cooper, Lindsay, Nye, & Greathouse— Relationships among Attitudes about Homework, Amount of Homework Assigned and Completed, and Student Achievement—as appropriate documents pertinent to attitudes about homework from a historical basis • Wrote introduction to group’s Review of Literature section of the document • Started list of terms to be defined July 14, 2005 • Continued literature search, locating and selecting documents by Cooper— Homework—and Kraus—Attitudes and the Prediction of Behaviors: A MetaAnalysis of the Empirical Research—as appropriate • Wrote first draft of my review of literature • Met with Dr Valentine to discuss progress and review document • Outlined Assumptions portion of our document • Revised introduction to Literature Review and Parents’ Perceptions portions of the document July 16, 2005 • As a group, discussed status of the document • As a group, discussed the Assumptions, Limitations, Participants, Criteria for Selection of Participants, Methodology, Rationale for the Methodology, and Procedure Used for Gathering Data portions of the document • Assigned group members portions of the document to be completed 73 • Agreed to meet on July 21, 2005 to discuss progress, incorporate assigned sections, and make appropriate revisions to our document July 18, 2005 • Selected the 1996 TIMMS report and Explanation of Academic Achievement of Asian American Students by Peng & Wright as appropriate material to be incorporated into Parent’s Perceptions portion of the Review of Literature section • Completed second draft of Parent’s Perception portion of the Literature Review • Copied Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, and Research Questions from Chapter One into Chapter Three of our document • Wrote Limitations, Participants, Criteria for the Selection of Participants, Methodology, and Rational for the Methodology portions of our document • Started reference list after reviewing APA format requirements • Added the definitions of terms related to my portions of the document to Definition of Terms section of the document July 19, 2005 • Met with Dr Valentine to review our document • Based on Dr Valentine’s input, revised our document by rewriting Criteria, Methodology, and Rational for the Methodology sections Moved original Methodology section to Procedure section after making appropriate revisions • Wrote Summary, Delimitations, and Role of the Researcher portions of the document 74 July 20, 2005 • Met with Dr Valentine to discuss APA format questions, review changes to the document, and discuss format for Timelines portion of the document • Started Timelines portion of document July 22, 2005 • Met with Joe Boyle and Paula Spaulding at the Crumb Library to review the status of our document • Met with Paula Spaulding and Dr Valentine to discuss and review Paula’s Review of the Literature, Data Management Procedure, Data Analysis, Data Management and Validity, and Reliability sections of our document • Following the review by Dr Valentine, met with Paula to refine appropriate sections of our document July 23, 2005 • Met with Paula Spaulding and Joe Boyle at the Crumb Library to incorporate Joe’s portion of the literature review into the document, add Paula’s Audit Trail section to the document, and revise the document as needed, • As a group, met with Dr Valentine to discuss the document, while noting changes she deemed as either necessary or appropriate July 25, 2005 75 • Started and completed the Citi Program which is related to research involving humans and the Belmont Report entitled Ethical Principals and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research July 26, 2005 • Completed reading Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher by G.E Mills July 27, 2005 • Identified the material necessary to create appendices A through C • Created rough draft of appendices A through C July 29, 2005 • Added items & to the Assumptions section of our document • Reviewed document • Added Likert Scale and Correlation Coefficient to Definition of Terms portion of the document, along with the corresponding definitions and necessary citations and references • Updated text to reflect the correct corresponding appendix designations • Finished Timeline-1 and -2 • Revised appendices A through C August 1, 2005 • Generated sample histogram using Geometer’s Sketchpad program • Met with Paula Spaulding in the Crumb Library to discuss items requiring completion within our document 76 • Wrote conclusion to the Review of Literature portion of our document • With Paula Spaulding, met with Dr Valentine to discuss proposed changes to the document, the final presentation of our work, and submission of our document • Revised Appendix A and Appendix B August 3, 2005 • Revised Appendix C August 4, 2005 • Revised Appendix D • Met with group to make final revisions to the document ant to review the PowerPoint presentation she prepared Paula Spaulding’s Audit Trail Journal July 8, 2005 • Our group membership was determined: Paula Spaulding, Richard Gilchrist, and Joe Boyle This was determined because we three are experiencing the same problem within our classrooms: An overwhelming majority of our students are not completing their assigned homework • The group wrote our first draft of the following parts to our study document: Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Research Questions Rationale July 9, 2005 77 • Internet search was begun with regard to teachers’ perception of homework The source located for use was a study by Frances Van Voorhis entitled Teachers Use of Interactive Homework and Its Effects on Family Involvement and Science Achievement of Middle Grade Students July 13, 2005 • Internet search was continued with regard to teachers’ perception of homework Sources located for use include the following: Paulu’s guide entitled Helping Your Students with Homework, two schools’ homework policies, and an ERIC Digest article by Yvonne Eddy entitled Developing Homework Policies July 16, 2005 • The group met and drafted the following sections of our study document: July 21, 2005 • The group met in the SUNY Potsdam Library to continue the first draft of our study Paula Spaulding proofread the existing research document, adding the following: 1) Spaulding’s updated Literature Review, 2) corresponding references, 3) Data Management Procedure, 4) Data Analysis, 5) Data Management and Validity, 6) Reliability, 7) additional definitions of terms, and 8) Rationale for Methodology • Rick Gilchrist and Paula Spaulding met with Dr Valentine to discuss the following: 1) required documents needed in the appendix, 2) clarification of the Audit Trail, 3) Data Management and Procedure, 4) Data Analysis, and 5) Reliability 78 • Rick Gilchrist and Paula Spaulding reconvened at the SUNY Potsdam Library to update the research document with Dr Valentine’s suggested changes and approved sections Gilchrist was assigned to make up a sample questionnaire, and Paula Spaulding was assigned to design a sample Parental Consent form July 23, 2005 • The group met in the SUNY Potsdam Library to consolidate the proposal components, adding the following: sample questionnaire and sample consent form for the appendix, and Boyle’s Literature Review • The group met with Dr Valentine for a formal review of the research proposal Changes were marked • The group met after this advisement and redistributed the work as follows: 1) Joe Boyle will update the document with Dr Valentine’s suggestions, 2) Rick Gilchrist will review the proposal, update the appendices and finish the timeline, and 3) Paula Spaulding will a final review of the paper, finish the Assent form, and make a Powerpoint presentation from the proposal July 25, 2005 • Paula Spaulding finished typing the Assent form July 31, 2005 • Paula Spaulding received the final document from Rick Gilchrist She added the Assent form and her portion of the Audit Trail August 1, 2005 • The group met at SUNY Potsdam and reviewed the research proposal Ideas were discussed for the final presentation format 79 August 2-5, 2005 • Paula Spaulding finalized the PowerPoint presentation of the research proposal August 4, 2005 • Paula Spaulding and Rick Gilchrist met at SUNY Potsdam to finalize document and presentation method Appendices were updated, as well August 5, 2005 • The group met at SUNY Potsdam to present the research document to the Educational Research class and Dr Valentine ... This thesis entitled PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK: HOW STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS PERCEIVE THE VALUE OF HOMEWORK AS IT RELATES TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT By Joseph E Boyle Has... this study: How students perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student academic success? How parents and guardians perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual... this study: How students perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual student academic success? 28 How parents and guardians perceive the value of homework, as it relates to individual