Homework Completion and its Impact on Academic Success

1. Homework Completion and its Impact on Academic Success Aaron Burkart

2. Purpose of Study: • The purpose of this research is to examine the effect homework completion has on the overall academic success of students. Over the past century there have been differing views on homework. Some states tried to place limits on the amount of homework to be given, and other states went as far as abolishing homework altogether. In an attempt to determine the effect of homework on academic success, the researcher will measure the overall performance of students who regularly turn assignments in on time versus students who turn assignments in late versus students who never turn in homework assignments.

3. Need for the Study: • In order to improve instruction and academic success among students at Huntington Middle School, there needs to be a comprehensive study on the effects of homework completion on student’s academic success. The reason for this research is due to the fact that there are differing philosophies on the importance of homework. One philosophy is that homework is a vital part of the academic experience and is necessary for academic success. The other philosophy on homework is that it is nothing more than busy work and generally does not play that great of a role in the academic success of students.

4. History of Homework: • If one looks at the history of homework one can see that it has fallen in and out of favor with the public for the last century. According to Valerie Strauss’ article, Life Support: A History of Homework (2003), homework didn't really get back in fashion until the 1950s, after the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite, and sparked the great space race with the United States. That's when American schools decided that kids needed to learn more math and science and had to study harder. Up until that point, there had been various reforms and movements to rid homework from schools.

5. Opinions on Homework: • In the 1880s, General Francis Walker, a Civil War hero who became president of the Boston school board, thought that hours and hours of boring homework was making his own kids nervous and tired. He persuaded the board to order that math homework be given only in extreme cases. • Ladies Home Journal, went as far as enlisting doctors and parents who said that homework damages children’s health (Gill & Schlossman, 2003, p. 846).

6. The Law and Homework: • In the 1887 case of Balding v. State of Texas, a thirteen year old pupil challenged the authority of his teacher to assign him homework. According to the case the student had refused to do his homework for two consecutive days and as punishment his teacher decided to whip him with a switch. • The California Legislature in 1901 passed laws abolishing homework in grades K-8, and limiting it to high school (Gill & Schlossman, 2003, p. 845).

7. The Law and Homework: • In the 1909 case of Hobbs v. Germany a Mississippi court placed limits on teacher authority in the home. “The public school of Bogue Chitto required its students to study at home each evening between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. One evening in October 1908, Henry Germany, a 16-year-old pupil in the Bogue Chitto School, went to church with his father during the designated study hours. His teachers sought to punish him for this violation of school rules” (Gill & Schlossman, 2003, p. 849). The Mississippi Supreme Court declared that the teacher abused his authority, and a teacher’s power was limited when it came to activities outside of the home.

8. Data Collection: • Qualitative and quantitative data will be used in this research. The sample will consist of a cohort of students in the 8th Grade. This group will be taught Civics and Economics. Three classes, consisting of 32 students will be monitored and observed for a period of eighteen weeks. • Quantitative Data: Semester and Unit test scores. This data can be used to measure the overall student achievement both by class and individually. • Qualitative Data: Student Surveys. This data will be used to evaluate students opinions toward homework.

9. 100.00 80.00 Mean Test Avg 60.00 40.00 20.00 0.00 .00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 9.00 Number of Missing or Late Assignments Results: • Figure One shows the correlation between the number of assignments a student is missing and their unit test average. As you can see the more assignments a student is missing the lower their unit test score.

10. Results: • Table one illustrates the relationship between the number of assignments a student is missing and their semester test grade. As demonstrated, there is a Pearson correlation of -.508 with a significance of .001, which showed a negative correlation between the two variables.

11. 100.00 80.00 Mean Test Avg 60.00 40.00 20.00 0.00 0 - 15 16 - 30 31 - 45 46 - 60 Amount of Time Spent on Homework in Minutes Results: • Figure Two shows the correlation between the amount of time a student spent on their homework and their mean unit test average. As you can see the more time a student spent on their homework the higher their mean unit test average.

12. Results: • Table two shows the relationship between the responses to the statement “Homework helps prepare me for assignments such as tests and quizzes” and mean unit test average. As illustrated in Table Seven there is a Pearson correlation of -.733 with a significance of .001, which showed a negative correlation between the two variables.

13. Conclusion: • In summary, the effects of homework completion on academic success is an ongoing study. When used properly, study after study show that homework, from the elementary through the university level, is an effective method for reinforcing educational learning goals (Simplicio, 2007, p. 138). Even though there are various studies that support the effectiveness of homework there are also many factions that question the usefulness and effectiveness of homework. These groups range from parents and educational organizations to the mainstream media. These groups argue that the quantity of homework assigned and the amount of time required to complete these assignments often limits the amount of time students have to spend on extracurricular activities such as sports, work, and family obligations.

14. Conclusion: • In this study the researcher attempted to examine the effects that several variables such as gender, amount of time spent on assignments, and the number of missing and or late assignments had on academic success. Upon completion the researcher was able to confirm that there was a correlation between homework completion and academic success.

15. Conclusion: • The history of homework can be traced back to the foundations of education itself. Over the years vast hours have been spent by scholars, educators, students, and parents discussing and debating the role that homework plays in the educational process. Even though these groups may have differing opinions as to the amount, frequency, and type of homework assigned they all seem to agree that homework does play an integral role in the academic process. The results of this study prove that there is a correlation between homework completion and academic success. Educators, students, and parents must remember that the education of a student is a collaborative effort. It requires all parties involved to take an active part in the educational process.