What homework method profoundly impacts student achievement and retention?
Each and every year I’ve noticed homework being an issue in my math classrooms. Most conversations in teacher lounges are always about how their students just do not put any effort in their homework assignments. As a math teacher, I have noticed that the math assignments completed by students are either copied or have no work to support their answers. Teachers are spending a lot of time going over homework, but for what if many don’t complete it? So I ponder, “Does homework and the way it is given really effect student achievement in the classroom and their retention”? I want to develop the most appropriate and effective usage of homework, whether it’s no homework, yellow folder system, collaborative homework, etc. At the beginning of 2011-2012 school year there was no difference with the failure of students completing homework efficiently. I had 5 classes with an average of 20 students in each class. 69% of the students were black or Hispanic and 31% of my students had some type of learning disability. 58% of my students were boys and over 30% of my students were labeled at risk. My main concern was the high percentage of students labeled at risk. Grades were a huge concern in certain classes that consisted of a high percentage of minorities and at risk students. Periods 2nd, 4th, and 6th were my main classes that presented a lot of challenges. In these classes students previous TAKS scores were relatively lower and many were on a no passing list where they were enrolled in an after-school tutorial program. These students class average test scores were almost 20% lower compared to the other 2 successful classes. Post Assessments given was never meeting the 80% passing rate for the class. I had to continue to reteach and re-post the entire classes just to get a passing rate of 70%. A high percent of the students each and every day seem to fail to complete homework or had just given answers to problems without being able to explain their work. I felt that these students were being unsuccessful for many reasons but mostly because majority of them did not see the relevance or importance of homework.
“Prior to the 20th century and into the first few decades of that century, the common belief was that homework helped create a disciplined mind, (Marzano, pg. 64). Throughout the years researchers have been going back and forth with the relevance of homework. One thing is for sure homework is given for students to perform task outside of school. It is to extend their learning. I took on this research challenge because I too feel that homework disciplines the mind and today students lack discipline. I choose various types of homework styles to ensure I found the most profound method that would impact my students’ success most effectively. Partner homework was designed lastly because it is known that when students work in pairs there is no place for them to hide. Having a partner is making sure you are held accountable (Nash, pg. 21).
The ultimate goal is for students to appreciate the importance of homework while demonstrating mastery showing 80% passing on each post assessments of 8th grade math TEKS. Success of the research depends on the involvement of the students. They will be a part of the research process and I will allow them to communicate their concerns and issues with homework to gather valuable information. Communication is essential to ensure accomplishment of this research so I plan to continue to keep the principals a part of the process and meeting with them with the results, setbacks, issues, etc. My vision is a living thing. The wording has change but the idea is relatively the same. I informed my colleagues about my vision and goal of my research with a collaborative meeting. I worked with colleagues and the principal and explained my dilemmas in the classroom and spoke of my initial vision to increase homework participation. After suggestions and probes given by them I started to restate my true vision. Last year I told parents at our parent night and also send out emails to each parent with my concerns dealing with homework and what I was trying to do with my research. Some part of my research involved parents so it was imperative that I notified them of the entire ordeal. As for the community I would like to have the opportunity to explain my research to them at our Campus Building Leadership Team (CBLT) meetings and keep them informed throughout the year.
Getting started was fairly easy. I asked the department head if we had any available monies that I needed for yellow folders for each student. I did not want my students to go out and buy anything for my research because I did not want to wait for them to get their supplies. The department head was able to get the folders to me within two weeks. My students were in mind from the beginning of my research. I wanted them to be successful and to understand the importance of homework and how its effectiveness relates to their achievement. I investigated their backgrounds and looked at their previous year grades and test scores. I realized that many of the students were lacking basic skills and organization as well as structure. These factors I felt contribute to the low homework involvement that related to their poor assessments and retention of previous taught material. I also was able to find out that many of these students had added responsibilities when they left school such as taking care of siblings, youth league sports, etc. Throughout the research students’ identities were protected. I used last digits of their ids and initials. Confidentiality is a must to ensure students are not scrutinized by the results of my research.
Things do not always go smoothly in researches. From the beginning I had some concerns as well as my principal and colleagues. With many suggestions and critiques I realized I had to take charge of my own project. I chose what suggestions to assist in redesigning my research topic and made sure to come up with methods of gathering data that was suitable and attainable for me. I made sure that my data spoke for itself. It showed that certain classes had a higher failure and lower homework completion rate. It also showed that these classes had high percentages of at-risk students and were part of the campus sub-pop groups. There was a disagreement from my colleagues they felt I should incorporate all my classes in the research. I felt that I needed two placebo classes to be able to compare what I normally done for homework. These classes were the ones that were doing fine with the basic homework activities. I ensured them that would be best so I can compare my strategies used to the new research strategies because they were all different. I confirmed parents that noticed the different methods that all students will still receive the same high expectation education just that their homework assignments would be given differently.
Our school was an open campus due to low enrollment so we ended up having a lot of students that transferred from neighboring districts and low performing campuses throughout our district. My classrooms were very diverse. Students that were zone to the school were from a middle class community. You could tell who the students that transferred from various areas were. This was also a challenge that I wanted to conquer. My research has different types of aspects that I feel will resonate with students that have learning disabilities. The yellow folder system was one that I felt would help students with learning disabilities because it gets their parents involved in their learning. Parents have to sign that they assisted or saw them complete their homework keeping them on task and keeping them involved. It also helps them be more organized because the folder has a calendar and all their notes. Partner homework was created thinking about the diverse classes and different styles of learning. I noticed throughout the year that students of all types enjoyed collaborating and working together versus lectures from me all the time. I am hoping that working together and having a homework partner for accountability and assistance will help the desires of my special and exceptional needs students as well as the diversity in cultures. The no homework part was created in mind of the students that have so many responsibilities outside of school and may not have the time or place to complete homework. This group will not have warm-ups but would perform practice in class during that time. With all these different types of styles of homework I hope to find the most appropriate and affect method.
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