HOMEWORK:  QUALITY

RESEARCH FINDING:

Well-designed  homework assignments relate directly to  classwork 
and extend students' learning beyond the classroom.   Homework is 
most useful when teachers carefully prepare the assignment,  tho-
roughly  explain it,  and give prompt comments and criticism when 
the work is completed.

COMMENT:

To  make  the most of what students learn  from  doing  homework, 
teachers need to give the same care to preparing homework assign-
ments  as  they  give to classroom  instruction.   When  teachers 
prepare  written  instructions and discuss  homework  assignments 
with  students,  they find their students take the homework  more 
seriously than if the assignments are simply announced.  Students 
are  more willing to do homework when they believe it is  useful, 
when teachers treat it as an integral part of  instruction,  when 
it is evaluated by the teacher,  and when it counts as a part  of 
the grade.

Assignments  that require students to think,  and  are  therefore 
more interesting, foster their desire to learn both in and out of 
school.   Such activities include explaining what is seen or read 
in class;  comparing, relating, and experimenting with ideas; and 
analyzing principles.

Effective  homework assignments do not just supplement the class-
room lesson; they also teach students to be independent learners.  
Homework gives students experience in following directions,  mak-
ing  judgments and comparisons,  raising additional questions for 
study, and developing responsibility and self-discipline. 


Austin,  J.  (l976).  "Do Comments on Mathematics Homework Affect 
Student Achievement?"  School Science and Mathematics,  Vol.  76, 
No. 2, pp. l59-l64.

Coulter,  F.  (l980).   "Secondary School Homework:   Cooperative 
Research Study Report No. 7."  ERIC Document No. ED 209200.

Dick,  D.  (l980).   "An Experimental Study of the Effects of Re-
quired  Homework  Review Versus Review on Request  Upon  Achieve-
ment."  ERIC Document No. ED l94320.

Featherstone,  H. (February l985).  "Homework."  The Harvard Edu-
cation Letter.

Walberg,  H.  J.  (April l985).   "Homework's Powerful Effects on 
Learning."  Educational Leadership, Vol. 42, No. 7, pp. 76-79.