STUDENT BELIEFS ABOUT HOMEWORK (PD 7)
In order to try to fully integrate my 7th period class into my inquiry I gave my students in 7th period the same “Chemistry Homework Survey #1” (Artifact 6A) as my students in 2nd period to better understand their existing beliefs about homework. The first noticeable difference was the difference in class size (2nd- 29 students; 7th-20 students) and the number of surveys filled out between the classes (2nd-27 students; 7th-12 students). For the analysis of student survey responses two fellow student teachers analyzed the survey responses from both of my classes. My peers wondered how class size difference and pervasiveness of school absences affect my analysis of data. Their next observation was the widespread responses from 7th period when there were only 12 students compared to the more uniform responses by 27 students in 2nd period. Questions asked were as follows, “What are different ways I can interpret this data when comparing my two classes? Are the responses so wide spread in 7th period because there are too few students surveyed to establish a “norm” or does 7th period have a more diverse student population than 2nd period?” Although I had few students in 7th period providing me with responses on the survey, I think that these responses are characteristic of the number of students typically in class each day and which students are present on any given day. Feedback from students who are consistently absent from school or cut class would be valuable in order to understand why they are absent or cutting class, however, it was not possible to get feedback from these students because they were never present in class.
Something else my peers noticed was that the majority of students in both classes responded that the amount of homework in my class is “just the right amount,” and the majority of students spend “0-30 minutes” on chemistry homework a night. For the response to the amount of time students spend on homework in all classes, my peers noticed that the majority of 2nd period responded that they spend “30 min-1 hour” on all homework per night. My 7th period however was “all over the place.” When I mentioned these aforementioned observations to my students who were concurrently looking at my quantitative data, many students disagreed and said that whoever responded “just the right amount” was lying. One student responded, “Yo…they be trippin’.” Another student said, “You know… we do have homework in our other classes too Miss.” To further support the lively responses of my 7th period students, my peers found the survey questions that asked why or what would motivate students to do homework to be the most interesting. It is evident that there are many factors that play into why students may or may not do their homework especially when both of my classes have diverse student populations. The widely varying student needs could complicate my analysis for whether homework should be eliminated.
Moreover, it is no surprise that adolescent well-being is an important concern for educators. The well being of adolescents directly affects student attitudes and behaviors towards school. In “Students’ Study Time and Their ‘Homework Problem,’” Jiri Zuzanek (2009) addresses the concerns of many North American (specifically the United States and Canada) parents’ and writers’ concerns with adolescents’ well-being in regards to the “homework problem” as “underlying adolescent stress, disruption of family relationships, and questionable academic results” (p. 111). Jensen (2000) also writes, “Children as well as adults have a limit to how much mental work they can accomplish in a day’s time, before the brain needs downtime” (Vatterott, 2009, p. 63).
Something else my peers noticed was that the majority of students in both classes responded that the amount of homework in my class is “just the right amount,” and the majority of students spend “0-30 minutes” on chemistry homework a night. For the response to the amount of time students spend on homework in all classes, my peers noticed that the majority of 2nd period responded that they spend “30 min-1 hour” on all homework per night. My 7th period however was “all over the place.” When I mentioned these aforementioned observations to my students who were concurrently looking at my quantitative data, many students disagreed and said that whoever responded “just the right amount” was lying. One student responded, “Yo…they be trippin’.” Another student said, “You know… we do have homework in our other classes too Miss.” To further support the lively responses of my 7th period students, my peers found the survey questions that asked why or what would motivate students to do homework to be the most interesting. It is evident that there are many factors that play into why students may or may not do their homework especially when both of my classes have diverse student populations. The widely varying student needs could complicate my analysis for whether homework should be eliminated.
Moreover, it is no surprise that adolescent well-being is an important concern for educators. The well being of adolescents directly affects student attitudes and behaviors towards school. In “Students’ Study Time and Their ‘Homework Problem,’” Jiri Zuzanek (2009) addresses the concerns of many North American (specifically the United States and Canada) parents’ and writers’ concerns with adolescents’ well-being in regards to the “homework problem” as “underlying adolescent stress, disruption of family relationships, and questionable academic results” (p. 111). Jensen (2000) also writes, “Children as well as adults have a limit to how much mental work they can accomplish in a day’s time, before the brain needs downtime” (Vatterott, 2009, p. 63).