Minnesota State University Moorhead RED: a Repository of Digital Collections Dissertations, Theses, and Projects Graduate Studies Spring 5-11-2018 The Role of Homework in a Mathematics Classroom Adam Johnson adamjohnson172@gmail.com Follow this and additional works at: https://red.edu/thesis Part of the Secondary Education Commons Researchers wishing to request an accessible version of this PDF may complete this form. Recommended Citation Johnson, Adam, "The Role of Homework in a Mathematics Classroom" (2018). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects.edu/thesis/66 This Project (696 or 796 registration) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at RED: a Repository of Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Projects by an authorized administrator of RED: a Repository of Digital Collections.
For more information, please contact RED@mnstate. The Role of Homework in a Mathematics Classroom A Project Presented to The Graduate Faculty of Minnesota State University Moorhead By Adam Johnson In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction May 2018 Moorhead, Minnesota 2 Role Of Homework Table of Contents ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………….5 General Problem/Issue…………………………………………………………………….5 Subjects and Settings…………………………………………………………………….7 Description of Subjects……………………………………………………………………7 Selection Criteria………………………………………………………………………….7 Description of Setting……………………………………………………………………8 Informed Consent……………………………………………………………………….8 Review of Literature….9 Statement of the Problem……………….10 Time………………………………………………………………………………11 Formative Assessments………………………………………………………….12 Usage of Homework……………………………………………………….15 Research Plan……………………………………………………………………………15 Methods and Rationale………………………………………………………….16 Anticipated Results………………………………………………………………17 CHAPTER THREE…………………………………………………………………….18 Description of Data…………………………………………………………………….18 Methods of Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….19 Student Survey……………………………………………………………………………20 3 Role Of Homework Research Question……………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………26 Action Plan………………………………………………………………………………………26 CHAPTER FIVE…………………………………………………………………………….28 Plan for Sharing………………………………………………………………………………….31 APPENDIX B……………………………………………………………………………………………32 APPENDIX C……………………………………………………………………………………………34 APPENDIX D……………………………………………………………………………………………35 APPENDIX E…………………………………………………………………………………………….40 4 Role Of Homework Study Abstract Title: The Role of Homework in Mathematics Classroom Purposed Study: The purpose of this research was to study what type of homework shows the most student improvement. The research focused on growth from a pre-test to a post-test that will compare the different types of homework assignments given in class. Each group was given the exact same lesson and topics to cover, but with different assignments for the day.
After one week of the exact same assignments, the groups had a different type of homework for a week and then growth was measured using that homework. This allowed for further comparisons to conclude which type of assignment helps students grow the most. 5 Role Of Homework Chapter One General Problem/Issue Homework has been a staple of American high schools for many years. In our world today, students have more responsibilities than ever before.
Between sports, activities, jobs, family time, and school, the amount of time dedicated to homework is becoming less and less. Homework, especially in math, is still necessary to improve test scores, as it provides opportunities to practice for students. The issue is what homework best helps students increase their math scores and shows the most student growth. The increase in homework resulted from the 1950s, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik (Vatterott, 2009).
Before this, especially in elementary grades, homework was falling out of favor among many schools with some abolishing homework completely. In 1957, when Sputnik was launched, Americans became fearful that the Soviet Union was going to pass America as the leading superpower, especially with the Soviet Union’s improved technology. With this in mind, homework became a way to increase students’ knowledge at a faster rate. The Soviet Union continued to expand their power, and with it, increased tensions with United States.
Adults of the United States wanted their children to be at a higher level, when compared to Soviet Union students and the solution was to increase homework. In the next decades, the pendulum swung the other way towards limiting homework, as parents wanted their children to be able to play when they got home (Vatterott). With the release of A Nation at Risk, schools came under more pressure to improve student’s abilities and in turn, homework was increased again. A Nation at Risk was a watershed moment in educational methods.
According to A Nation at Risk, “American schools were getting worse: test scores were falling, millions of Americans were illiterate, and our teachers weren't educated enough or paid enough” (Boyd, n. In recent 6 Role Of Homework times, homework has come under scrutiny again as students’ lives outside of school have become busier and busier. Throughout the institution of public schools, homework and the amount of homework that is assigned has been on a pendulum. With each decade, a change in the role of homework has changed.
Throughout all this, schools and teachers have had to content with the rise of standardized tests and more pressure to improve student’s abilities. Homework should not be a punishment but an opportunity for students to grow. Homework should an opportunity for students to practice their skills. The issue is determining the best way to use homework for students to improve.
With issues such as the amount of problems, the type of homework, and assigning grades to homework, it’s difficult to know the best way of using it. Too often, homework is assigned and forgotten about by both students and teachers. It is assigned by the teacher, completed by the students, graded by the teacher, and then thrown away by the student. It is not analyzed by teacher or student beyond what grade the student received.
It is too often seen as a punishment by students and not as a learning opportunity. If students are completing homework, there should be a way for homework to become more effective for students and teachers for improving student scores and abilities. By analyzing homework and what method of grading homework shows the most improvement in students test scores and math ability, homework can be better used to show improvement. This topic has always been of interest to me.
Since I have started teaching, homework has always been an issue of how to grade it and analyze it. At times, I have graded every problem, but the issue is the amount of time it takes and many students didn’t use it to improve. The longer I have taught, I have trended towards checking for completion and then reviewing the answers. The students seem to comprehend and achieve at a higher level compared when using 7 Role Of Homework this method as compared to other methods.
Another idea thrown out is the idea of checking for completion on what they did in class. At the end of the hour, the students could show how far they were with that day’s assignment and that would be their score for the idea. With the increase in technology, some classrooms in my current school district have moved to online only assignments. I have used this some, with sites like IXL.com, with mixed results.
Some classes enjoy it, and feel it is beneficial, while others dislike it, due to the program itself. The reasons given for the feelings toward IXL is the amount of time it takes and the program needs answers in specific formats. Students have complained that, even if their answer is exactly the same as what IXL has but with a decimal instead of a fraction, the program marks it incorrect and the students go backwards with their score. With the increase of technology in schools and classrooms, it will be interesting to see what online homework does to increase student achievement.
Another method I am curious of is the idea of no homework. Some schools have adapted this policy and I know students would approve of this method, but this method is the technique I feel most uncomfortable with. In Finland, schools typically assign limited homework and their test scores are among the top three in reading and mathematics combined (Sahlberg, 2014). It will be difficult to check for understanding using this method, as a teacher may not see student work until a quiz or test.
By researching this issue, I hope to find which method of analyzing the homework and grading it best shows student improvement. Subjects and Settings Description of subjects. The research will focus on fifteen eighth through eleventh grade students ranging from thirteen to eighteen years old. The school is 91% white and 5% American Indian.
The classes are mixed in terms of gender. There are a total of six females and nine males. There are four students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and there is a 8 Role Of Homework paraprofessional in the classroom to help students with an IEP. The classes also have a free and reduced lunch population of 54%.
Students in the middle school exceeded on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA’s) at a rate of 17.8% on math, while high school students exceeded 4.8% of the time. In the middle school, 23.8% met the standards, while 33.3% met the standards at the high school level. For this research, I decided to use students that are in the Algebra 1 class in my current school district. The class ages range from fourteen to sixteen and currently has fifteen students.
Four of the currently have an IEP and there is a paraprofessional in the class to assist students with the IEP. Description of Setting. This study will take place in a small town in Minnesota with a population of approximately five hundred people. Many students in the school participate in an extra-curricular activity, with sports being the leading one.
The average class size is twenty students and the school has students in pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. From our graduating classes, the school averages 74% of students going to an Institute of Higher Education. The school typically graduates 85% of students in each graduating class. The median income for a household in the area is $22,308.
Permission was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at Minnesota State University and from the school district to conduct this study. The school district’s IRB procedure was followed to obtain permission to conduct research. This involved receiving permission from the Superintendent at the school where the research was conducted. Protection of human subjects participating in research was assured.
Participants were informed of the purpose of the research and any procedures required by the 9 Role Of Homework participant, including disclosure of risks or benefits. Confidentiality was protected through the use of pseudonyms without identifying information. The choice to participate or withdraw at any time was outlined verbally. Review of Literature Homework has always been an issue for many students.
Between apathy, not enough time, lack of understanding, or many other reasons, homework has always been a struggle. This study will examine what type of grading on homework most improves student performance. Teachers continue to assign homework because it depends on two common components: practice and perseverance (Larson, 2016). But there is still a discussion on the importance of homework and whether homework is needed.
The number one reason, according to Pat Hinchey, was that students don’t have enough time to complete homework (as cited in Kralovec & Buell, 2000, p. Even in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, there was a debate over homework. The idea is that homework is hurtful to students’ mental and physical development (Eren & Henderson, 2011). But most teaching professionals agree that homework is necessary for improvement.
This is supported by Harris Cooper when he showed there was a positive correlation between homework and student achievement (as cited in Reilly, 2006). An extra half hour of math per night in seventh grade through eleventh grade can advance a student an estimated two grade equivalent (Eren & Henderson, 2011). Many teachers understand the need for homework, but what value should we place on homework and how can teachers best use their students’ homework to improve understanding. Student growth is the main goal of all teachers.
They want to see students improve from the beginning of the year until the end. Homework and assignments are the best way for students to practice the skills they learned. Students understand this as well. A study completed by Dr.
10 Role Of Homework Julie Saam and Dr.