Action Research Homework strategies for upper primary students and their families Introduction

The focus of this research is to identify a variety of strategies that assist primary school students aged between Year 3 to Year 7 to successfully complete homework projects, while limiting the amount of stress and disruption to parents and families. After discussions with parents, and as a parent myself of two children within this target age range, I learnt that for many families completing homework assignments is a laborious task, creating stressful situations and in many cases ending in a screaming match between adult, child and other family members.

Literature Review
While I was interested to see what results I was to gain from my proposed research, I felt it necessary to review current perspectives and literature on the effects of homework on families and its benefits to students. Cooper (1989) defines homework as any tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are meant to be carried out during non-school hours. As trends in education changed historically, so did educators views on the role and importance of homework with in schools in achieving outcomes for children, with the sides for and against homework enjoying periods of popularity. Current research promoting homework for students, indicates that the most important advantage of homework, is that it can enhance student achievement as it extends learning beyond the school day (Maranzo & Pickering 2007). As Cooper, Robinson, and Patall (2006) stated, With rare exceptions, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant. Therefore, we think it would not be imprudent, based on the evidence in hand, to conclude that doing homework causes improved academic achievement. The anti-homework contingent, however suggests, it is too difficult to provide homework tasks that suit and meet the needs of modern students whom come from such varying backgrounds and types of home environments. How are educators able to set tasks to meet the needs of these students equally? Children from socially, culturally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds are often penalized, as homework is not completed. With a greater number of families struggling with time and social pressures, giving children large amounts of homework which are unable to be completed, may have adverse affects on students health and the amount of quality family interactions. The same article also poses that this stress can also cause

children to not developing a positive sense of self and hinders childrens ability to form strong relationships with those within the school environment. According to Kohn (2006) teachers should only assign homework when they are able to justify that the set tasks are beneficial, and ideally involve students in setting the activities that are appropriate for the home environment. Some literature encourages schools to set tasks such as helping in the garden, cooking, or completing puzzles with a member of the family, instead of more traditional assignments. Many researchers stated that parents feel they are unprepared to assist their children with their homework, and that often their efforts to assist result in stress for all involved. Epstein (2001) identified that interactive homework, where parents are given clear guidelines from teachers of their expectations, become the most successful. He found assignments that required students to show or explain their written work or other products completed at school, and to gain their parents feedback, actually increased parent-child relations.

Description of the Research context

The study was conducted using an online survey called Survey Monkey. A link to the survey was emailed to participants to complete. Participants were given a description of the survey, its intention and purpose. The survey link was emailed to 43 families, though only 14 families chose to respond. Participants were chosen as they had target aged children and I had worked or been acquainted with them during my time living abroad or here in Australia over the past 18 years. All participant responses were anonymous, although the survey link was sent to participants residing in the USA, Australia, Qatar, England, Singapore and Argentina to provide a diverse response. The survey link was emailed to families who have chosen to home school, have children at international schools and families with children in Australian schools.

Data Collection and Analysis

The content of the study was developed as a survey which consisted of eight multiple choice questions created to elicit feedback from parents on their opinion and experience of where their children complete homework, how their children complete homework tasks, and the families preference for the frequency and type of homework tasks. The survey was also designed to list the techniques families use to make the completing of homework as enjoyable and successful for all members of the family. One question involved participants being able to select as many applicable options, all other questions were a single choice.

Participants were also invited to provide any other information they wished to offer concerning homework in their families as a written response. Participants were given one week in which to respond. Questions from the survey Question 1 How frequently do you prefer your childs homework to be set?

Frequency of Homework
Never 14% Daily 15%

Fortnightly 14%

Weekly 57%

Figure1

Question 2 Where does you child complete their homework?

Where Homework is Completed

Other 7%

Kitchen 43% Family Room 43%

Figure 2
Bedroom 7%

Question 3 - When is the best time for your child to complete their homework?

After Dinner 0% Weekends 0%

Timing of homework
Never a Directly good time after school 14% 14%

Before Dinner 72%

Figure 4

Question 4 What assistance is required for your child to complete their homework?

Assistance required
Doesnt complete homework 0% None 0% Constant 15%

Some 85%

Figure 4

Question 5 What type of homework suits your child best? Tick as many boxes as appropriate.

Prefered Types of Homework

Any type 2% Outdoor activities 17%

Worksheets 22%

Redaing 21% Project 19%

Spelling 17%

Figure 5

Grid/Matrix 2%

Question 6 - How stressful is homework in your household?

Stress Caused by Homework

No stress at all 14% Very 14%

Somewhat 29% a little 43%

Figure 6

Question 7 Amount of homework

Amount of Homework
Way too much 7%

Not enough 21%

Too Much 22%

Appropriate amount 50%

Figure 7

Question 8 What other information do you feel is important when analyzing effective homework practices? Summary of written responses. Homework to match the childs individual needs/learning capabilities 30/9/2013 5:35 Is it work set that is reinforcing what has been done in the classroom ? Is it incorporating different learning styles? Has it been differentiated for the students in the class? 30/9/2013 7:31 Students have different homework needs. We teach students developmentally at school meeting their needs for spelling, writing and math, yet homework is set generally. Homework should either be open-ended so that students can answer at their appropriate level or differentiated so that students are getting the worksheet or activity that best meets their needs. 29/9/2013 9:49 I found the questions difficult to answer. I feel that my son should always be engaged and learning, and that there should be connections between school learning and free learning. I find homework can encourage higher level free learning and building those connections. I find it unpleasant to force homework, but I'm getting better at it. Learning has to have love. Sometimes homework and hate go together. Good luck in your studies! Xx 29/9/2013 6:25 Communication from the teacher. While I understand homework is supplemental to what a child is learning, it maybe worthwhile for a brief weekly/fortnightly note from the teacher to communicate with the parents as to the topics covered in class. The topics would be reflected in the

homework. This can assist in reinforcing what is being learned. 29/9/2013 9:51 Our children are home schooled 27/9/2013 11:01 I don't see why homework should be anything but reading and spelling. 27/9/2013 5:12 What evidence exists that demonstrates the benefit(s) of homework on overall academic achievement? 27/9/2013 5:12

Findings
I found while many parents complain about their childrens homework, confirmed with 86% of my participants indicating that homework was of varying degrees of stress. However, and somewhat startlingly, only 14% suggested that they would like no homework at all. Not only is this finding contradictory, it also caused a range of further questions and implications for my research. The largest questions raised from these findings are the social implications of homework. Participants indicated that homework generally causes stress, additionally, 100% of participants indicated that time was allocated to monitor and assist the completion of tasks. Do families then feel homework is something that needs to be completed because it is a social norm? A social expectation perhaps? Something they did as students? Participants supported weekly homework tasks (57.1%), and 0% preferring homework over the weekends. This supports the literature I read and the theory that modern families are increasingly time poor due to work, social and sporting commitments. Though further findings were again contradictory in nature this time to theories, such as that of Kohn (2006), where participants found more traditional and independent tasks such as worksheets, spelling and reading more suitable to their child or perhaps their family needs, than interactive type tasks such as grids/ matrixes, and projects. Families preferred homework to be completed in the kitchen (42.9%) or the family room (42.9%), and 71.4% of participants preferred homework to be completed before dinner compared to 14.3% who preferred homework to be done as soon as they returned from school. Again, a social norm of modern families, as increasing numbers of children attend Outside School Hours Care, and attending sporting commitments directly after school. Contradictory to discussions with parents complaining about homework, 50% of participants in this study indicated their children received the right amount of homework, where only 7.1 % indicated their children received way too much.

Again the parents when asked what was important when analyzing effective homework practice made contradictory comments. Some of the participants wanted better differentiation of tasks, as they believed that homework is generically set for everyone, while others didnt see the benefit in homework outside of reading and spelling. In reflecting upon the design of this action research I would have like to explore the cultural implications of homework so therefore, I should have questioned in the survey the familys country of residence. I feel I would have gained a greater number of participants if I had sent a reminder email to the original cohort, of the closing date and time of the survey, to follow up the original and only email request. I also feel that a week was not a long enough time frame for the cohort to respond. Alternatively, I feel using the Survey Monkey interface was an effective means of data collection and it catered for a wide and diverse group of participants. The interface was uncomplicated and easy for participants to navigate. It also allowed for both multiple choice and written responses.

Implications
Education Queensland guidelines recommend that children in the target age group for this study have between two and four hours of homework per week, with a balance of work and play to be considered. However, what does that mean for teachers and families. If a Yr 3 7 student is expected to read for between 30 minutes to 1 hour a day, what time is left for more traditional type homework tasks? As mentioned Maranzo & Pickering (2007) and Cooper, Robinson, and Patall (2006) all indicate that homework can improve student outcomes, though they do not indicate an age in which homework becomes beneficial. I pose that homework is a social norm, something that has been done for many years, we as adults undertook homework when we were primary students, and it has continued as an accepted practice. The Director of Qatar Academy Dr Gregory Hedger declared in a staff meeting of August 2009, that homework in primary school, was good preparation for what will be expected in senior school. Though my findings would contradict this as 86% of participants indicated it was causing stress to their families. Does the stress caused to families and the possible mental risk factors to young children out way the possible academic achievements for Yr 3- 7 students?

I feel I would like to conduct further action research into what age group does homework improve the learning outcomes for children.

Conclusion
As a teacher, as indicated in the parents written responses, I conclude that assigning weekly reading tasks to my students for homework would be the most beneficial and diminish the stress of families, while still allowing the opportunity for families to be included in this task, where possible. Though after this research I am less likely to include matrix or grid tasks and I will ensure homework does not need to be completed over weekends.

References Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Kids Matter. (2013) taken from www.kidsmatter.edu.au Cooper, H. (1989). Homework. White Plains, NY: Longman. Cooper, H, Robinson,J.C.,& Patall, E.A. (2006) Does Homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of Research, 1987-2003. Review of Educational Research, 76 (1), 1-62. Kohn, A. (2006). The Homework Myth: Why our kids get too much of a bad thing. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. Marazano, R.J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007) Response to Kohns allegations. Centennial, CO: Marazano and Associates Marazano, R.J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007) Special Topic / The Case For and Against Homework. Educational Ledership, March 2007 Volume 64 (6).