“How effective is Homework as a learning Strategy?

What is effective homework?

Homework has been an integral part of the learning strategies within a modern learning
environment. Homework is defined as any tasks or activity which is issued to the students by
the teacher and is to be completed outside the normal school hours (Bembenutty, 2011), and
it has been shown to form an integrated part of a student’s academic performance (Dettmers,
Trautwein, Lüdtke, Kunter, & Baumert, 2010). Effective homework is one that reaffirms
learning while at the same time develops informal skills of self-management and resilience to
better the child.

If homework is a recognised key strategy in a child’s learning, why doesn’t appear to

work for all children? There are many factors which impact the effectiveness of students
conducting learning at home. Carr (2013) remarked that the effectiveness of homework was
multifaceted and centred around -

 Accommodations – where the student conducts their homework, at home, in

their room, through a homework club at afterhours care.
 Organization – what support they have through parents, family or friends to
direct them and provide assistance when needed,
 Structure of assignments – has the teacher differentiated the instructions so
that all students understand what is required. Is the work within the abilities of
the child to complete unassisted?
 Technology
 Home–school communication – that interface between teacher and parent,
ensuring the message to the student is consistent between all stakeholders
 and students’ domestic home life

(Carr, 2013)

All these factors, either singularly or in combination, have influence on the

effectiveness of homework, but Carr neglects to note that the abilities or attitude of the
students as a main influence. McNary, Glasgow, & Hicks (2005) confirms that as learning is
differentiated in the classroom, so too homework needs to be differentiate for students with a
wide range of abilities. McNary, et.al. (2005) found that students with high academic results
within the classroom performed well with homework while those with learning difficulties
require additional support and instruction to receive any benefits. Thus, teachers and parents
need to know their students in order that they recognize and accommodated them through
structured learning (Carr, 2013). Homework not only reaffirms learning but develops personal
skills including time-management, study skills, and the ability to become autonomous learners
outside of formal classroom environment (Cooper, Lindsay, 2000). Dettmers, et.al (2010) tell
us that the relationship between quality and quantity of homework and the achievement gained
by the students are still very unclear. The challenge for the teacher (and parent) is to find the
correct balance between quality and quantity to ensure the student does not become
disengaged.

One theme which is prominent in effective homework is the role of teachers and
parents. Teachers and parents need to understand the challenges students have with studying
at home to ensure homework is effective. They are the facilitators of a student’s time,
organization, accommodation and communication. The study by Xu & Yuan (2003)
determined that teachers and parents both “shared similar views about the purposes of doing
homework, namely for reinforcement of school learning and for development of personal
responsibility” (Xu, Yuan, 2003). The problem occurs when ineffective homework strategies
are applied to a student whose lifestyle does not accommodate it.

The Teacher

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) dictate that the teacher must
know their students and how they learn, but homework is conducted for the most part in the
home, so teachers needs to know the parents and home dynamics too. The presence of a
parent during homework is seen as a positive strategy to improving the learning outcomes of
the child. There are many factors that impact a child’s effectiveness with homework, including
time, previous education, and availability (Núñez, Suárez, Rosário, Vallejo, Valle, et al., 2015).
Cooper & Lindsay (2000) established that teachers should not only consider the ability level
of the student, but the assistance and what role the parents play in their child’s homework.
Knowing this, teachers can differentiate strategies for learning outside the classroom to fit the
child’s needs to ensure effective outcomes.

How teachers assess effective outcomes from homework can in itself be subjective. Hong
(1999) found that teachers assessment of homework was based on formal, structured
assessment, where little or no emphasis what placed on assessing non-formal or informal
performance. Teachers can miss key learning outcomes by limiting their view of effective
homework. Radović & Passey (2016) observed that there are many benefits from non-formal
or informal assessment of homework, including a student’s ability to build resilience and self-
learning. Teachers need to ensure that students are engaged and enjoying homework while
not interrupting it as a chore (Warton, 2001). The teachers, student and parents need to
understand the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ behind effective homework to enable the student to
engage in it more.

Parental Assistance

Parental support is paramount for children to learn in an effective environment. Hong

(1999) found that parental participation in their child’s homework was a key factor in their
child’s ability to improve their abilities. Warton’s (2001) research complements this view by
adding that parental involvement leads to better academic outcomes, encourages learning
develops a student’s ability to learning autonomy and time manage. Effective learning is not
just about the curriculum and subject matter, but it’s about the child developing the skills to
become an independent learner.

In 2016, 52% of household in NSW (ABS, 2018) had both parents in employment. The
lack of supervision and other distractions, influence the time and study patterns in which a
child learns outside of the normal school hours, and hence how effective homework can be
(Robin, Benzimra, Li, 2017). Parents were less likely to eliminate distractions when they were
not at home after school (Lindsay, 2000). The presence of parents brings a level of influence
to the level of effectiveness their children will have with doing homework. Dettmers, Trautwein,
& Ludtke (2009) remarked that children miss out on the advantages of homework when they
do not have parental influence during their learning. Cooper and Lindsay (2000) added that
teachers need to consider if families have the economic, time, and skill resources to ensure
homework is effective. It is not only the parents’ presence during homework that is a factor for
effective learning, but the parent’s skill levels, knowledge background and whether these are
sufficient to assist the child or if it will hinder them.

Xu & Yuan (2003) research concluded that parents and teachers need to consider
homework not just as a symbolic task that is done because it has always been done, but
rather, an important indicator on how the student is performing and how engaged they are
with the teacher and their own learning. Students with poorer parents were less supportive for
autonomy and more interference (Cooper, Lindsay, 2000). Like all educational strategies,
there is no defined reason as too what make homework effective or not. Homework has a
place in enhancing a student’s learning but we are limited in our assessment of whether is
effective.
Part B: Data Collection Protocol
Ethics protocols and Participants

This study forms part of the assessment of Masters of Teaching (Secondary) for the
subject 102097 (1st Half 2018) Researching Teaching & learning 2 and comes under the
authority of the Western Sydney University Assessment Policy. This study is for private
academic use only and will not be disseminated into the public arena and therefore is not
governed by the Ethics approval process (REDI, 2017). All participants will be required to
authorise an informed consent form (Appendix 1) before the commencement of the interview.

This qualitative study will be conducted through a semi-structured interview process of open-
ended questions where the conversion will be framed against select formal questions to
scaffold the conversation. The set questions include -

 What is effective homework?

 What type of homework/activities do you find as effective/ineffective? Why?
 When do you see that homework is effective?
 Sub question - What are the conditions for this to happen?
 Sub question - What inhibits effective homework? Time? Attitude? Life?
 What are the impact of assisting students?
 Sub question - role of the teacher/Parent/Student on effective homework?
 How do you know when homework has been effective?
 Sub question - How are you assessing this?
 Sub question -formal and/or informal assessment?

 What constitutes structured and un-structured learning and would recognise it when
present?

Participants are to consist of six current teachers and six parents. The teacher participants will
be selection from the following faculties – Mathematics, English, Science, TAS, PDHPE, and
History/Geography departments. At least two participates will be male and two females and a
range of teachers from graduate to lead teacher will be interviewed. Six parents will be
interviewed to give the parental perspective on what makes effective homework. The
questions will remain the same but responses will be from the home environment.
Part C: Data Collection Protocol Explanation

The research question ‘How effective is Homework as a learning Strategy?’ will be

assessed against the backdrop of a high school in metropolitan Sydney. It will be conducted
through a social cognitive perspective, similarly to Bempechat (2004) research that noted that
effective learning was develop through positive experiences, not just academic reward, and
the development of coping mechanisms to deal with setbacks and mistakes. The school is co-
educational and has a focus on students with gifted sports abilities. As previously discussed,
there are a broad range of criteria that impacts the effectiveness of homework, including
Accommodations, Organization, Structure, Technology, Home–School communication and
students’ domestic home life. This research will study the role teachers and parents play in
shaping these conditions to ensure effective homework and maximize learning environments.

Weiner (2005) documented that decades of research concluded that the successful
outcomes related to homework are based upon achievement. By conducting interviews
instead of assessing grades, we can explore the behavioural aspect of effective homework
and the activities that surround the study. The range of teacher participants is designed to give
a broad view of homework and teaching styles within the structured school environment. By
interviewing teachers from all faculties, we hope to minimize any bias which might arise from
conducting interviews within one discipline and accounting for the different styles each faculty
bring to homework. Cooper & Lindsay (2000) noted in their research that effective homework
extends further then the practical side of doing homework. By interviewing parents and
teachers, we can gain an understanding on what students are learning through homework,
including learning skills of become resilient, self-learners and time.

The research plans to extend from Hong’s (1999) observations and will investigate
differences between structured and unstructured homework, what these are, and how they
contribute to effective homework. The interviews will look to discover if the teachers and parent
both have an understanding of what constitutes structured and un-structured learning and
whether they would recognise it when present. From this information we will building a picture
of the different learning styles which are applied to homework and its impact of cognitive
learning and resilience (Hong, 1999), confirming Xu & Yuan (2003) finding that both teachers
and parents play a role in promoting personal attributes and self-responsibility through a
community support of homework, and it is this that maximises effective homework outcomes.
References

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Feb 2018. Families — employment status of couple families.
Retrieved from:
http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/
1 Viewed: 28/03/2018

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). February 2011. Australian Institute
for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Retrieved from:
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards Viewed: 28/03/2018

Bembenutty, H. (2011). Meaningful and maladaptive homework practices: The role of self-
efficacy and self-regulation. Journal of Advanced Academics, 22(3), 448–473.
Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/

Bempechat, J. (2004). The Motivational Benefits of Homework: A Social-Cognitive

Perspective. Theory Into Practice, 43 (3), 189-196. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/

Carr, N. (2013). Increasing the Effectiveness of Homework for All Learners in the Inclusive
Classroom. School Community Journal, 23(1) 169-182. Retrieved from:
https://eric.ed.gov/

Cooper, H., Lindsay, J. J., & Nye, B. (2000). Homework in the home: How student, family
and parenting-style differences relate to the homework process. Contemporary
Educational Psychology, 25, 464-487. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.10

Dettmers, S., Trautwein, U., Lüdtke, O., Kunter, M., & Baumert, J. (2010). Homework works
if homework quality is high: Using multilevel modeling to predict the development of
achievement in mathematics. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 467–482.
doi:10.1037/a0018453
Elliot, A. J., & Dweck, C. S. (2005). Competence and motivation. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck
(Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 3–12). New York, NY: Guilford.

Hong, E., & Milgram, R. M. (1999). Preferred and actual homework style: A cross-cultural
examination. Educational Research, 41, 251-265. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0013188990410302

McNary, S., Glasgow, N., & Hicks, C. (2005). What successful teachers do in inclusive
classrooms: 60 research-based teaching strategies that help special learners
succeed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/

Núñez, C., Suárez, N., Rosário, P., Vallejo, G., Valle, A., et al. (2015). Relationships
between Perceived Parental Involvement in Homework, Student Homework Behaviors,
and Academic Achievement: Differences among Elementary, Junior High, and High
School Students. Metacognition and Learning, 10 (3), 375-406. Retrieved from:
https://eric.ed.gov/

Radovic, S., Passey, D. Digital Resource Developments for Mathematics Education Involving
Homework across Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Settings. Curriculum Journal, 27(4),
538-559. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/

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Coursework Masters, Western Sydney University. Retrieved from:
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/research/research_ethics_and_integrity

Robin, K., Benzimra, D., Li, J., (2017). Exploring Factors That Influence Technology-Based
Distractions in Bring Your Own Device Classrooms. Journal of Educational Computing
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Warton, P. M. (2001). The forgotten voices in homework: Views of students. Educational

Psychologist, 36, 155-165. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3603_2
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and motivation (pp. 73–84). New York, NY: Guilford.

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Appendix 1 – Consent Form

Locked Bag 1797

Penrith NSW 2751
School of Education

102097 Researching Teaching and Learning 2

How effective is Homework as a learning Strategy?

Participant information sheet

I, Ryan Hamilton (91641872), am a student in the Master of Teaching degree at

the School of Education, Western Sydney University and I am seeking your
permission to be interviewed as part of an assignment in the unit “102097
Researching Teaching and Learning 2”. For this assignment I am required to ask
teachers and parents their opinions as to what makes effective homework?

The interviews will be conducted in an informal way. I will not be directly

recording what participants say, however, I will take some notes to be sure to
capture everyone’s ideas accurately. My aim is to understand each participant’s
opinions on this topic, so I will be encouraging interviewees to explain their
thoughts on the question and listening carefully to what they have to say. At the
end of the interview I will check with each participant that the notes I have written
are an accurate representation of what he/she has said.

After completing all interviews, I will analyse what the participants have said and
compare these findings with relevant theory and research. While my report may
include quotes from participants, none will be identified by name, nor the school.
Only my lecturers and tutors will see the finished report and it will not be used for
any other purpose. The report may be made available in hard copy to participants
who wish to see it.

Please note that taking part in this interview is completely voluntary. If you do
choose to participate you can still withdraw at any time.

My supervisor for this project is Dr Paul Rooney. In case you have any concerns
about the interview you can contact him on P.Rooney@westernsydney.edu.au

Sincerely
 Locked Bag 1797
Penrith NSW 2751
School of Education

102097 Researching Teaching and Learning 2

How effective is Homework as a learning Strategy?

Participant consent form

Please read the Information sheet before signing this.

I agree to be interviewed by Ryan Hamilton (91641872) as described in

the information statement attached to this form.

I acknowledge that I have read the information statement, which explains the aim of
the interview and I have discussed any questions been explained to me to my
satisfaction.

I understand that I can withdraw from the interview at any time without penalty.

I agree that the information I provide in the interview can be used for the purposes
of a student assignment on the basis that I am not identified by name in the
student’s report.

I understand that if I have any questions relating to my participation in this

interview, I may contact Dr Paul Rooney (phone: (02) 47360 069) or
P.Rooney@westernsydney.edu.au

I have read the information sheet for this study and voluntarily consent to participate.

Name:

Signed:

Date:
Appendix 2 – Record of Interview form

102097 Researching Teaching and Learning 2

How effective is Homework as a learning Strategy?

Record of Interview – Semi Structured

Interview Date Time Start -

Participant Time Completed -

(Teacher / Parent)

Question Response

What is effective homework?

How do you know when it is

effective?

What type of homework

/activities do you find as
effective/ineffective? Why?
When do you see that
homework is effective?
 What are the
conditions for this to
happen?
 Sub question - What
inhibits effective
homework? Time?
Attitude? Life?

What are the impact of

assistance on the students’
performance?
 Role of teacher/parent
/student on effective
homework?

How do you know when

homework has been effective?

Notes -