Views of Primary Teachers About Homework (A Qualitative Analysis)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the views of classroom teachers about homework assigned to primary students. In the study, a qualitative method was employed. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the participants were chosen using the purposive sampling technique. The participants of this study are twenty classroom teachers who taught the primary grades of 1, 2, 3 and 4 at a public primary school in Konya during the school year of 2017-2018. The interview form was administered to four classroom teachers in a pilot study whose findings produced a reliability level of 88% and the obtained data were analysed using the descriptive statistics. The participants' answers to the interview items were categorized under common themes and sub-themes. Besides, in the discussion of the findings direct quotations were also given. The findings generally indicate that the teachers had a positive attitude towards homework assignments. It was also found that for them homework assignments contribute positively to increase student achievement. The findings also suggest that the views of the participants about homework assignments do not vary based on the variables of gender, grade level, their professional experience and their educational background.

Attitude of Sultan Kudarat State University Laboratory High School Students and Teachers on Proposed “No Homework Policy” Bill

“…However, Homework can strengthen the relationship between school and home through the involvement of parents in helping student's complete homework (Felix, 2008). Further more homework can be an evaluation method to check students' understanding of the material being taught and was widely used to increase student achievement (Buyukalan and Altinay, 2018).…”

Exploring teachers’ perspectives on primary school homework

“…Academic Achievement: More specifically, in relation to the idea that primary school homework is beneficial, much of this literature portrays the line of argument that primary school homework plays a crucial role in promoting academic achievement (Medwell & Wray, 2019, Buyukalan & Altinay, 2018, Valle et al, 2016, Costa et al, 2016& Matei & Ciascai, 2015, despite contrasting research which claims homework has little impact on academic achievement (DeNisco, 2013, Hattie, 2008& Cooper et al, 2006.…”

“…Complementary to academic achievement, primary school homework is also regarded by some teachers as beneficial for the acquisition of study skills (Costa et al, 2016), such as developing awareness of time management and acting as a platform for instilling a sense of responsibility (Buyukalan & Altinay, 2018& Gollner et al, 2017. However, there are also concerns around parental over-involvement -while primary school homework is beneficial, parental expectation is a key feature in the primary education literature, with many of the texts suggesting that parental expectation is a positive tool for strengthening home-school relationships (Madjar et al, 2016).…”

“…Educational Inequalities: Conversely, there are potential negative implications associated with primary school homework. Research suggests that primary school homework contributes to perpetuating educational inequalities, in which access to resources and suitable learning environments at home will not be the same for all children, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds compared to their more privileged peers (Costa et al, 2016& Buyukalan & Altinay, 2018. Conversely, from an optimistic lens, Emami et al (2016) claims homework can be helpful in reducing educational inequalities, allowing children who may be absent or have difficulties with learning to catch up.…”

The frequency and sources of homework in science and social studies in Croatia and Slovenia

“…In the Croatian educational documents, homework is mentioned as part of curriculum planning and programming within guidelines that direct to an independent home-based learning and systematic monitoring of homework (Ministry of Science and Education [MSE], 2006;. Homework can help students with learning disabilities and provide challenging material for advanced learners (Buyukalan, Altinay, 2018). Teachers assign homework for a variety of reasons that mainly relate to helping students revise, apply and integrate the content they have learned and thus get ready for the next day's class.…”