OPTIONAL HOMEWORK VS. GRADED HOMEWORK continued
The next quiz, Quiz #11 (Artifact 10), had a larger spread of scores with the majority of students earning an A or an F. The highest percentage, 108%, is possible due to two extra credit questions (4 pts. total). The average for Quiz #11 for 2nd and 7th period was lower than Quiz #10 (which were in the A range) but in general, averages of B are considered above average. During the graded homework week, only a handful of students in both classes did not do the homework. Students who were absent on days homework was assigned continued to make it difficult to produce clear comparative records for these students because they were often absent on quiz days as well. These students were excluded from the final class averages as noted in Artifact 10 and Artifact 12. The number of students who completed homework during the graded homework week was comparable to the number of students who did homework before implementing optional homework. I saw no noticeable difference for increased or decreased number of students completing homework. Again I did not analyze and compare the quiz scores of students who did homework and those who did not due to the small sample size and small number of students who did not do homework. Although it is unclear whether a relationship exists between homework and classroom assessments, the similar quiz averages in each trial of optional homework makes me believe that chemistry homework does not have a negative nor positive effect on student assessments.
In comparison to my first set of quiz scores, my second set of data (Artifact 12) showed considerably lower quiz averages. I am not sure how to account for these differences but a few hypotheses are the content became more complex and/or challenging over time; there was less alignment between homework assignments and the quiz or students prepared differently for quizzes when there was optional vs. graded homework. When comparing the quiz scores within a single class and across classes the spread of scores were different, but a closer analysis of quiz averages showed that quiz scores were consistent for each class (low 70s for 2nd period and mid 70s for 7th period). I found no significant differences between the quiz scores for when homework was optional and when it was graded. I do not believe I can draw a conclusion about whether homework should be eliminated from these data.
In Sallee & Rigler (2008), the authors write about their teacher action research on homework. Specifically, they are interested in whether teachers are being sensitive and supportive of outside interests in current practices of assigning and using homework, how current practices further inequities that already exist in the classroom, and how a teacher’s goals match what students gain from these practices and why these practices may or may not work. While considering the different aspects of optional homework followed by analysis of real data from real students all I could think about were the reasons students wrote for why they would or would not do the optional homework. For me, the most powerful line in this article is “Are we asking students to figure out the ‘game’ of how much effort to give homework instead of focusing their attention on the course material and the skills they are developing” (Sallee & Rigler, 2008, p. 49)? As I have observed in my own research, many students wrote that they would not do the optional homework because it would not be graded. This indicated to me that homework is viewed as part of the grade game; it is not about learning the content material or students are simply too lazy to do the work.
Many of the changes in student homework practices implemented in the literature are practices that I have tried as well. The strategy that drew my attention was the use of “built in reading time in class” which allowed the teachers to “model a variety of reading strategies to support the competing responsibilities students have when they leave the classroom” (Sallee & Rigler, 2008, p. 49). As I have mentioned previously (Artifact 3A), I started to provide students with time at the end of classes when homework was assigned to start the assignment and to ask me any questions. I found this to be effective because many students took this opportunity to get some of their work done, and if they chose not to do the work then they only had themselves to blame for not understanding the homework. This strategy was something I knew I had control over and it also addressed the available time my students have for homework. The authors also mentioned a homework practice that I strongly believe in, “I use homework when I think an assignment would be useful, not as a matter of routine” (Sallee & Rigler, 2008, p. 51). Throughout my student teaching experience I have not assigned a homework assignment just for the sake of giving students homework. This is especially true when I do not cover everything I want to have covered for the homework assignment. I know that I could potentially work at a school that requires homework every night, and I am not sure how I would handle such a situation. Perhaps the “routine” mentioned in Sallee & Rigler (2008) is not impractical as many researchers find:
“Another purpose of homework [besides for student learning] is to build student responsibility, perseverance, time management, self- confidence, and feelings of accomplishment; also to develop and recognize students’ talents in skills that may not be taught in class. Some teachers design homework to help students learn to manage their time, establish work schedules, build study skills, and develop research skills” (Epstein & Voorhis, 2010, p. 182).
Overlooking the belief that homework helps develop skill sets beyond learning content material, Sullivan & Sequeira (1996) argue “The fact is that homework is assigned in most schools. The issue is not whether we should have homework, but rather how to make homework a viable extension of classwork and make it contribute to learning” (p. 348). These beliefs about homework are at times intended to be contradictory but I believe I could use these mindsets about homework in my practice as a way to integrate mandatory and concurrently beneficial homework for helping students learn and develop skills.
In comparison to my first set of quiz scores, my second set of data (Artifact 12) showed considerably lower quiz averages. I am not sure how to account for these differences but a few hypotheses are the content became more complex and/or challenging over time; there was less alignment between homework assignments and the quiz or students prepared differently for quizzes when there was optional vs. graded homework. When comparing the quiz scores within a single class and across classes the spread of scores were different, but a closer analysis of quiz averages showed that quiz scores were consistent for each class (low 70s for 2nd period and mid 70s for 7th period). I found no significant differences between the quiz scores for when homework was optional and when it was graded. I do not believe I can draw a conclusion about whether homework should be eliminated from these data.
In Sallee & Rigler (2008), the authors write about their teacher action research on homework. Specifically, they are interested in whether teachers are being sensitive and supportive of outside interests in current practices of assigning and using homework, how current practices further inequities that already exist in the classroom, and how a teacher’s goals match what students gain from these practices and why these practices may or may not work. While considering the different aspects of optional homework followed by analysis of real data from real students all I could think about were the reasons students wrote for why they would or would not do the optional homework. For me, the most powerful line in this article is “Are we asking students to figure out the ‘game’ of how much effort to give homework instead of focusing their attention on the course material and the skills they are developing” (Sallee & Rigler, 2008, p. 49)? As I have observed in my own research, many students wrote that they would not do the optional homework because it would not be graded. This indicated to me that homework is viewed as part of the grade game; it is not about learning the content material or students are simply too lazy to do the work.
Many of the changes in student homework practices implemented in the literature are practices that I have tried as well. The strategy that drew my attention was the use of “built in reading time in class” which allowed the teachers to “model a variety of reading strategies to support the competing responsibilities students have when they leave the classroom” (Sallee & Rigler, 2008, p. 49). As I have mentioned previously (Artifact 3A), I started to provide students with time at the end of classes when homework was assigned to start the assignment and to ask me any questions. I found this to be effective because many students took this opportunity to get some of their work done, and if they chose not to do the work then they only had themselves to blame for not understanding the homework. This strategy was something I knew I had control over and it also addressed the available time my students have for homework. The authors also mentioned a homework practice that I strongly believe in, “I use homework when I think an assignment would be useful, not as a matter of routine” (Sallee & Rigler, 2008, p. 51). Throughout my student teaching experience I have not assigned a homework assignment just for the sake of giving students homework. This is especially true when I do not cover everything I want to have covered for the homework assignment. I know that I could potentially work at a school that requires homework every night, and I am not sure how I would handle such a situation. Perhaps the “routine” mentioned in Sallee & Rigler (2008) is not impractical as many researchers find:
“Another purpose of homework [besides for student learning] is to build student responsibility, perseverance, time management, self- confidence, and feelings of accomplishment; also to develop and recognize students’ talents in skills that may not be taught in class. Some teachers design homework to help students learn to manage their time, establish work schedules, build study skills, and develop research skills” (Epstein & Voorhis, 2010, p. 182).
Overlooking the belief that homework helps develop skill sets beyond learning content material, Sullivan & Sequeira (1996) argue “The fact is that homework is assigned in most schools. The issue is not whether we should have homework, but rather how to make homework a viable extension of classwork and make it contribute to learning” (p. 348). These beliefs about homework are at times intended to be contradictory but I believe I could use these mindsets about homework in my practice as a way to integrate mandatory and concurrently beneficial homework for helping students learn and develop skills.