THE EFFECT OF HOMEWORK ON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

PERFORMANCE IN MARAWI CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

A High School Thesis

Submitted to
The Faculty of Senior High School Department
Marawi City National High School

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement

For (Name of the Subject)

Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa
Waida Sandawa

March 1, 2019

S.Y. 2019 – 2020

 Acceptance and Approval

This Thesis hereto attached, entitled “THE EFFECT OF HOMEWORK ON SENIOR

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN MARAWI CITY NATIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL”, prepared and submitted by ________________________, in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the Senior High School, examined and recommended for acceptance and
approval.

____________________________________________
Thesis Adviser

Panel Members

_____________________________________ _____________________________________
 Dedication

We dedicate this piece of work to our beloved families for the effort and support, through
financial, spiritual and material provision throughout the times. May the Almighty Allah bless
them the abundant of this life and the hereafter.
 Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the efforts of our thesis adviser and teachers for guiding us throughout
this work. We also thank our friends for their support and make this work successful.
 Table of Contents

Title page ………………………………………………………………………………... i

Acceptance and approval sheet …………………………………………………………. ii
Dedication ………………………………………………………………………………. iii
Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………………… iv
Table of contents ……………………………………………………………………….. v
Chapter 1 ……………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………. 6
Background of the study ……………………………………………………………... 7
Theoretical Framework .................................................................................................
Statement of the problems …………………………………………………………… 8
Scope and limitations ………………………………………………………………… 8
Significance of the study …………………………………………………………….. 8
Chapter 2 ………………………………………………………………………………… 9
Purpose of homework………………………………………………………………… 9
Effective homework………………………………………………………………….. 10
Impacts of homework on a student academic achievement …………………………. 11
Impact of parent involvement ……………………………………………………….. 12
Chapter 3 ………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Research design ……………………………………………………………………… 13
Population and sampling …………………………………….……………………….. 13
Research instrument …………………………………………………………………. 13
Data collection ……………………………………………….………………………. 13
Chapter 4 …………………………………………………………………………….. 15
Research findings ……………………………………………………………………. 15
Chapter 5 ………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Summary …………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 17
 CHAPTER 1
The Problem and It’s Background

1.1 Introduction
Currently we live in a world where education is very vital and every home wishes to
see their children thrive in their education. Homework has been a controversial educational
tool used as an attempt to evaluate and enhance student learning for as long as it has been
around. The historical homework controversy has caused an ongoing debate in education and
this debate is what led us to explore research on the impact of homework on student
performance in senior high school class. We believe that if we effectively teach the concept,
given ample practice and check student comprehension in class, students would evade learning
or practicing a skill incorrectly as can be done with homework. The overall purpose of this
study was to determine the impact of homework on the students’ performance at Marawi City
National High School. The primary goal of education at all levels of instruction is to create
opportunities for student learning, not only academic but also social and emotional. Learning
is defined as a relatively permanent change, due to experience, in either behaviour or mental
associations (Ormrod, 2003). Educators must present material that is developmentally
appropriate and scaffold it as children make their way through school. Lessons are delivered
in many different ways; they can all be successful if taught with focus and consistency (Dean
et al., 2012). Developing learners should be presented with lessons that match their ability
level (Wormeli, 2006). This experience should and does include practice, which is required to
build and create a learned behavior (Carr 2013; Dean et al. 2012; Epstein & Van Voorhis,
2001). At Marawi City National High School this practice takes place in class in the presence
of a teacher or at home—usually both. This study will take a deeper look at the role of
homework within the curriculum at Marawi City National High School by examining the
extent to which it supports student performance.
Like many schools Marawi City National High School has a significant number of
students who live in poverty. The failure to complete homework often represents a barrier to
academic success. Research has shown that practice is needed to reinforce skills (Wolfe 2001;
Ormrod 2003; Dean et al., 2012). However, many students do not have a space at home that
is conducive to doing homework. They might not have an adult in the house who can assist
 them with the work. They may live in a household where parents work late at night, making
the student themselves the caregivers for younger siblings. Thus, the assigned homework is
often not completed. The missing homework assignments create bigger problems for students
when they come back to class the next day (Beegle & Ellis, 2007).
Homework can create a false conception about the knowledge a student is retaining.
Homework can be completed with a friend, by a parent, or through the students themselves
copying answers directly from the textbook. None of these instances would show what that
individual student is learning. Students who always turn in their homework may have a grade
that is inflated because of homework that is weighted heavily in the grading system. Teachers
at Marawi City National High School often encounter situations in which grades are poor due
to missed homework assignments, yet the students know the material. Conversely, grades are
sometimes inflated solely because of homework completion. Many students are allowed to
make up incomplete assignments during the last week of the quarter in order to receive an
acceptable grade. There are numerous stories of students at school who missed out on
activities, athletics, and other social experiences because they did not do their homework and
therefore received a failing grade. This reduces opportunities for learning. This system could
be improved.
1.2 Background of the Study
Previous studies within the education production function literature have documented
a number of inputs that have an impact on students’ academic performance. This include
school funding, class size, teacher characteristics and training, the amount of time spent in
class or in school, and the performance of a student’s peers. Certain characteristics of the
students and their family also are important, including parents’ permanent income as well as
the student’s gender.
The focus of this study was on another input: student time of homework. The theoretic
literature predicts a positive impact of homework time on academic achievement (Betts 1996;
Neilson 2005). Almost all of the empirical studies on this topic find evidence that homework
time has a positive impact on academic achievement, although there was no consensus on the
magnitude of the impact. Finally, this paper will document that a policy of increasing the
amount of homework assigned to students is a cost-effective alternative to traditional policy
 interventions, and that this policy would disproportionately aid low-performing students in
Marawi City National High School.
1.3 Theoretical Framework
To motivate our empirical methodology, we briefly summarize the theoretical
models of homework effectiveness on test scores following Betts (1997) and Neilson (2005).
The existing models rest on three important assumptions: (i) Students have di¤erences in
abilities and thus require di¤erent amounts of time to complete the same homework
assignment. (ii) Homework is beneficial, at least in small amounts and (iii) Students are time
constrained. In the absence of the third assumption, additional homework can benefit all
students regardless of ability level. However, once the third assumption comes into play,
further homework will only affect those who have not hit their individual time constraint or
“give-up” limit.
Formally, let M be the (same) amount of time that each student has available for
completing their homework assignment and let H(ai;HWm) be the amount of time spent on
homework by student i, which is a function of his/her ability (a) and the number of units of
homework (HW) assigned by teacher m. Moreover, let f be a production function that
transforms the ability of student i and the homework assigned by teacher m into a test score
as TSi = f(ai;HWm). It is assumed that TS is an increasing function of a. More homework
also leads to higher test scores by assumption (ii) and students who have higher ability
complete their homework assignments more quickly under assumption (iii); dH=da < 0.
In addition to the three assumptions, suppose that each unit of homework takes the
same length of time for a given student (i.e., H is homogeneous of degree one with respect to
homework) so that the most homework a student can do is M=H(a; 1) units. Note that
M=H(a; 1) is an increasing function of ability since the denominator is decreasing in a.
Then, for any two random students where the ability of the first is strictly greater than the
second, there exists a level of homework above which the difference between the test score
of the first and second student is nondecreasing for a given M.3 In other words, when the
low able student has reached their time constraint but the high able has not, further
homework only positively a¤ects the high ability student. Therefore, the responses to
additional homework will depend on how far each student is from their individual specific
“give-up” limit and the relation between test scores and homework is non-monotonic.
1.4 Statement of the Problems
The most accurate predictor of the students’ performance in school is not the income
or the social status, but the extent to which families are able to create a home environment that
supports doing of academic work, communicates high and reasonable expectations for their
children’s achievement and becomes involved in their children’s work.
However, different schools in Marawi City, homework status in children’s education
is still at the minimum level. A lot of teachers place the responsibility to teach the children and
ensure their children’s education upon school time. Besides that, they think that by giving notes
and tests to students is enough to make them achieve their academic goals excellently.
Therefore, with regards to the mentioned matter, this research was to study whether
the homework assignment could be one of the contributing factors towards students’ academic
success in Marawi City National High School by answering the following specific question:
What are the impacts of homework on student academic performance?
1.5 Scope and Limitations
The study was only carried out within Marawi City National High School in Marawi
City. The participants in this study included 20 students, 10 males and 10 females, in senior
high school class. Students in this study completed two topics with homework and two topics
without homework. Data was collected via student and parent surveys, homework completion
checklists, quiz and test scores, and student interviews. This study was carried out between
February 24 – 28, 2019.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The study will be used to establish the impact of homework exercises in the student
ability to grasp and learn and this could help parents get involved in their children learning.
The study will be of importance to parents, teachers and basic education researchers. Teachers
will particularly know how to guide parents of Marawi City National High School on the
impact of the homework exercises that will facilitate the student’s faster grasp and learning.
Furthermore, it might also help in improving the awareness of the public about the importance
of homework exercises on their children learning.
 CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Literature

This literature review explores recent research about homework from scholars and
practitioners in the field of education and examines literature that focuses on the value of
homework, the quantity of homework, the feedback given to students from teachers, and best-
practice grading policies. This literature will be used to help guide the program evaluation of
homework practices at Marawi City National High School.
To investigate the effects of homework on student achievement at Marawi City
National High School, it is essential to first gain an understanding of how the practice of giving
homework fits with the curriculum, schedule, and overall belief about teaching within the
school. Homework is an important contributing factor in increasing student achievement (Carr
2013; Dean et al. 2012; Cooper, 2007). There are other factors that must be considered,
including lesson design, grading, the amount and purpose of homework, and differentiation
of homework by ability, culture, and income level. All will be addressed in this evaluation.
In this section, research on the purpose of homework is identified and discussed in
terms of authenticity and design for the support of student learning. The discussion includes
research into the amount of homework, teacher-written feedback, grading, and penalties for
not doing homework. Finally, consideration is given to how homework factors into the success
of students living in poverty and whether it has been shown to support or hinder this population
of learners.
2.1 Purpose of Homework
The effects of homework on student achievement are not entirely clear (Dean et al.,
2012). Studies differ in how questions have been worded and how the term “achievement” has
been defined. Although one would think that the main purpose in assigning homework is to
increase student learning, some studies show a positive effect on student achievement, while
others show little or no correlation (Kohn, 2006). Agreeing on a definition of achievement is
difficult. A clear definition of the term is the deciding factor in researching the effectiveness
of homework and has created a conflict among the leading researchers in the field. Cooper
(2007) conducted a meta-analysis in which he reported that 70 percent of various studies found
that doing homework was associated with higher achievement (Kohn, 2006). Some educators
and researchers define achievement in terms of (high) grades, while others define it as scoring
 (high) on standardized tests (Kohn, 2006). Cooper (2007) cited twelve studies in a meta-
analysis of research on homework; eleven found positive associations to an improvement in
grades or standardized tests, while one showed a negative link.
Improved grades, test scores, and learning are not the only purposes of homework.
Teachers who send work home to be done outside school cite the benefits of instilling a good
“work ethic” into young learners (Dueck, 2014). Peltier (2011) found that homework has been
used to encourage parent-child communications, to fulfill administrators’ expectations for
rigor, and to punish students for poor classroom behavior. Others have stated that homework
can help build time-management skills across a broad range of areas, especially those that
contribute to developing a sense of responsibility in the student (Epstein & Van Voorhis, 2001).
Cooper has stated that the non-academic benefits of homework include greater self-direction,
greater self-discipline, better time management, and more independent problem solving (Carr,
2013).
Other research suggests that there are academic benefits to be gained from homework
(Dean et al., 2012). Those benefits generally take the form of improved academic scores,
although Kohn (2006) states that there is no way to show homework’s effect on actual student
learning. Other critics point out the challenge of assessing whether or not a student is learning
responsibility or gaining a better understanding of the value of hard work (Vatterott 2009;
Kohn, 2006). There is no significant correlation of homework completion to the above-
mentioned worthy values. It has been shown that homework can have a negative impact on the
academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students (Vatterott 2009; Dueck, 2014).
Many have noted the barriers to completing homework for students of households living in
poverty (Carr, 2013).
2.2 Effective Homework
The effective use of homework in the instructional program engages practice that
supports learning objectives for the lesson or unit. Few would argue that “busy work” that
merely requires students to search for answers from a textbook has a positive effect on student
learning. Some research posits that student completion of homework is usually predictable by
the type of assignment that is sent home (Epstein & Van Voorhis, 2001). According to this
study, students’ engagement drops with lower-level thinking questions that involve searching
and finding an answer in a textbook. According to Vatterott (2009), assignments that allow
 students to think critically and generate their own answers or ideas are more likely to be
completed. Homework completion increases when students are emotionally engaged, allowed
to give their opinion, solve a problem, compete with others, use their imagination, or be
creative (Vatterott 2009, 104). The author finds that assigning homework that is engaging is
important; however, valuable learning will not take place with engagement alone. Aligning
homework to learning objectives is critical.
Dean et al. (2012) state that homework should be given as needed to support essential
learning, and it should link directly to those skills needed to master learning objectives.
Classroom teachers should be designing lessons around essential questions, and homework
should also be designed with these final objectives in mind. When teachers design homework
to meet these specific goals, more students complete their work and benefit from the results
(Epstein & Van Voorhis, 2001).
Vatterott (2009) points out that routine assignment of daily homework may be done to
please adults who want to make sure that students are working hard or for teachers to ensure
that they collect enough grades to fill the grade book. Vatterott (2009) believes that homework
should never be used for new learning. She also asserts that “busy work” does little or nothing
to reinforce existing knowledge. Homework should be used to help teachers formatively assess
how students are progressing. Doing “busy work” (such as finding answers in a book) does
nothing to demonstrate what a student knows or has learned. Homework should be a guide for
informing teachers about what a student knows or understands (Carr, 2013). Homework should
never be used as a punishment, a technique that likely sends the message that homework is an
undesirable task (Dean et al., 2012).
2.3 Impacts of Homework on a Student Academic Performance
Research provides mixed results from the studies of the effects of homework on
student achievement. Before discussing these effects, it is important to understand that most of
the homework research falls into one of two designs: experimental or correlational. The
homework design examined first is experimental. Experimental research typically compares
groups of students who receive homework to groups of students who do not receive homework
(Vatterott, 2009).
Two meta-analyses by Cooper and colleagues are the most comprehensive and
rigorous studies that have been done which reveal mixed results on the effects of homework
 versus no homework on student achievement. Cooper (2001b) did a meta-analysis in 1989 that
dates back to the 1930s which included seventeen research reports that contained a total of 48
comparisons between students who did and did not do homework. About 70% of these
comparisons found that homework was associated with higher achievement while 30% found
no effect or lower achievement (Cooper, 2001b).
Numerous studies have reported little correlation between homework and academic
achievement at the elementary level, whereas homework appears to have increasing benefits
as students’ progress through the grade levels (Cooper, 2001b). The average effect of
homework was twice as large for high school as for junior high students and twice as large
again for junior high as for elementary school students (Cooper, 2001a).
The second type of research design is correlational, which examines the relationship
between time spent on homework and achievement (Cooper, 2007). There is no conclusive
evidence that states that more time spent on homework results in higher student achievement.
The research provides mixed results from various surveys. According to Cooper (2001b),
forty-three of fifty correlations were positive, although the overall effect was quite minimal.
Kohn (2006) adds that homework accounted for less than four percent of the differences in
students’ scores.
2.4 Impact of Parent Involvement
Although the research is limited, there have been some studies that show that parental
involvement with homework has a positive impact on students’ homework completion rates.
Cooper (2001b) described a study that analyzed nearly 22,000 eighth-grade students and
parents in which they measured parent involvement that included how often parents checked
homework. They also measured parental involvement in the students’ lives in general. In the
study, they found positive relationships in all subject areas, and it appeared that this positive
relationship resulted from an increase in the amount of homework completed by students with
involved parents.
Van Voorhis (2003) conducted another study to determine if parents’ involvement in
science homework had a positive impact on homework completion rates and science
achievement at the middle school level. The research group consisted of students in the
Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) program. TIPS encourage parents to be
interested in and responsive to their children’s homework, but they are not asked to teach
specific skills. The control group received similar content homework but without instructions
to involve parents. Results indicated that students in the research group were more likely to
complete and return assignments and that their assignments were more likely to be accurate
when parents were involved.
When assigning homework teachers must remember that although parental
involvement in homework has shown to have a positive effect on completion rates, there can
also be negative consequences. Cooper (2001b) warns that parents may create pressure to
complete homework assignments or to do them with unrealistic rigor. Parents may also create
confusion if they are unfamiliar with the material or if they have a different approach to
learning than the teacher.
 CHAPTER 3
Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

Falk and Blumenreich (2005) stressed the importance of triangulating data when
conducting research rather than simply relying on one source. Data collection tools were
designed to measure the effects of homework on student performance. Data collection tools
that were used as part of this research study included (a) student and parent surveys (b)
homework completion check lists, (c) quiz and test scores, and (d) student interviews.
3.2 Population and Sampling
The study was only carried out within Marawi City National High School in Marawi
City. The participants in this study included 20 students, 10 males and 10 females in senior
high school class.
3.3 Research Instrument
The first instrument that was used in this research is method of survey through
questionnaires as the researchers believe that in order to measure perceptions, this approach is
the most appropriate research instrument to get the pertinent data. The questionnaire was
designed with multiple choice questions and also and Like-type scales.
3.4 Data Collection
The researchers, at first saw permission from the school administration and teachers
to get students to answer the questionnaires. The researchers then requested cooperation from
the school carrying out the study and distributing the questionnaire to the students.
 CHAPTER 4
Data Analysis and Interpretations

4.1 Research Findings

Upon completion of the first unit of study, students completed a survey to help
determine how parental involvement with homework affected homework completion. All 20
students completed the survey. Sixteen students (80%) indicated that they either agreed or
strongly agreed that their parents helped them with homework when needed, while just four
students (20%) disagreed that their parents helped them with homework when needed.
Seventeen students (85%) reported that they had a quiet place at home where they could go to
concentrate on homework. All 20 students reported that they had other activities, jobs, or
chores that interfered with completing homework. Eighteen students (90%) either agreed or
strongly agreed that they always completed their homework assignments while just two
students (10%) reported that they disagreed with this statement.
Parents also completed a survey to help determine how parental involvement with
homework affected homework completion. Eighteen of the 20 parents (90%) completed the
survey. All eighteen parents reported that their child could complete homework without their
help or supervision. Four parents (22%) stated that their child had many responsibilities at
home, while another nine parents (50%) reported that their child was involved in many outside
activities that left little time for homework. At the same time, 10 parents (56%) reported that
their child always completed his/her homework.
When asked about resources that parents had at home to assist their child in doing
homework, 15 parents (83%) stated that there was a quiet, well-lit place for them to work.
Thirteen parents (72%) said that they provided a computer with internet access. While 12
parents (67%) reported that there was an adult at home with time to help, five parents (27%)
said that they did not get involved in their child’s homework. Another eight parents (44%)
said that they checked to see that their child’s work was done. Ten parents (56%) reported that
they had trouble helping their child because they did not understand the material.
 CHAPTER 5
Summary and Conclusion

5.1 Summary
As a summary of this research, homework is a controversial educational tool that has
been debated for several decades. In general, research on homework has historically produced
conflicting results. There is no conclusive evidence that homework increases student
performance. Some studies have found homework has a positive impact under certain
conditions and for certain students; some have found homework has minimal effects on student
performance; and others have found homework has a negative effect on performance.
Homework has consistently been found to have a greater impact on the academic performance
of students at the senior high school levels. Although research shows that parent involvement
has a positive impact on homework completion rates, there can be several negative
consequences as well. Due to the inconsistent results in the various studies and the overreliance
on Cooper’s work, more research is needed to better define the impacts of homework on
student performance.
The surveys and group interviews made it clear that homework is needed but that
students do not always understand why they need to do things they already know how to do.
Students understand how one missing homework assignment can drop a grade drastically. It
was challenging for the students to discuss grading policies and procedures when they were
asked how much homework should be worth. Formative and summative assessments in
grading are a complex topic for adolescents that they rarely talk about. The survey and
interview data showed that students feel that late policies that immediately assign a grade of
zero for missing work are not fair.
The teacher surveys and interview groups both suggested that the practices of giving
homework, weighting homework toward an overall grade, late policies, and giving zeroes are
not exact sciences; rather, there is a varying human element that guides these practices. Upon
reviewing the survey responses, it can be concluded that current practices at Marawi City
National High School vary greatly among the thirty-three instructors in the school. When asked
whether they believed that giving zeroes for late work motivates students to start doing their
homework, 53 percent of the staff responded that they “disagree” or “strongly disagree.” This
 shows the divide in one major aspect of grading consequences in homework. The teacher group
showed that there is a variance within a small group of five colleagues.
The research findings were perceptions of current homework practices at Marawi City
National High School. The survey and interview responses show that students have strong
beliefs about homework practices. The evidence suggests that there are inconsistencies within
the school and within grade levels. The findings show that there is a need for further discussion
about homework practices at school.
5.2 Conclusion
As a final note of this research, for the benefits of home involvement to be realized, it
is critical that efforts are guided by the best available evidence. This report has expressed the
key messages from the existing evidence in practical terms that can be used by parents,
teachers, schools and government to guide home involvement strategies. Translating this best
evidence in policy, practices and programs is the greater challenge, and will require resourcing
and commitment by all parties. Thus the home involvement is of beneficial to students learning
and success, therefore homes should be encouraged to get involved in their students learning.
Given the clear benefits of positive home contribution in student learning, by way of
improved academic achievement, wellbeing and productivity, the report concludes that
resourcing and effectively progressing home involvement initiatives is warranted, if not
essential to education reform and the future of Marawi City National High School in Marawi
City.