Running head: GRADING HOMEWORK
1
GRADING HOMEWORK AND IT’S EFFECTS ON THE 21ST CENTURY LEARNER
BY
Melissa Luke
University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford, CT
February 2013
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
2
Abstract
This paper will focus on the effect of grading homework and the 21st century learner. Through
all of the research that has been conducted, there are many views as to whether or not homework
is beneficial at all, or if it can be used as a teaching tool. According to such authors at John
Buell, Alfie Kohn, Robert Marzano, and Rick Wormeli, homework can be used as a tool for
student success, but excessive amounts and grading it can also diminish the meaning of what a
teacher is trying to get out of their students.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
3
Grading Homework and its Effect on the 21st Century Learner
The debate over whether or not homework is beneficial for today’s students has been
around for over a century. Professionals and experts dating back to the 19th century have been
known to raise questions about homework intruding on the private lives of families and whether
or not the excessive amount is worth the stress it may cause. In order for anyone to research,
propose changes, or talk about homework, they must first understand what the concept entails.
The clear understanding by educators is that homework is considered to be “tasks assigned to
students by school teacher’s that are intended to be carried out during non-school
hours,” (Cooper, 2007, p. 4).
In the 21st century, America is dealing with a society that is very different than that of the
19th century. Society has placed an importance on homework that parents and guardians seem
unable to argue with. It has been stated that in order to raise the rigor and standards in America’s
educational system, students should be completing more and more homework. That thought
looks great from the professional view point, but from the social view point, it is completely
different. “With everyone working longer hours, and with more women than ever in the
workplace, time itself has become more precious than ever,” (Kralovec & Buell, 2000, p.19).
Traditional way’s of what teachers were first taught are being questioned as to whether or
not they are benefitting the student in their classroom. Many new teachers were taught by
veterans who were comfortable with assigning homework every night and expecting it completed
for a grade the following day. It was normal for them. Even though society is starting to change
their views on homework, many teachers are still using the method of checking off whether
students did their homework or not at the beginning of every class. After students take out their
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
4
homework, many teachers walk around with the class roster attached to their clipboard, and
either put a zero or a check mark next to each student’s name. The homework is either done or
not. The homework is expected to be completed every night, no matter the schedule a student
faces after school hours, or whether the student fully understood the skills to finish the
assignment.
What happens if the student has not mastered the skills necessary to complete the
homework? Should the student be punished for the conflicts or happenings at home that go
beyond his/her control (Wormeli, 2003)? No. The job of the teacher is to make sure the student
is comfortable with the material that is expected of them. A teacher should not be assigning
homework that is worth a grade if the student has not mastered the content. Where is the
balance? Homework is not the end all, be all evil. It is a perfect tool that can be used when
practice on a concept is warranted.
Ever since the the article A Nation at Risk was published in the 1980’s, the educational
pendulum has swung back to post-Sputnik era, thinking that more homework is the equivalent of
more rigor, and “better teachers assign more homework and that one sign of a good school is a
good, enforced homework policy,” (Kralovec & Buell, 2000, p.9). It is leading society to think
that if a child has so many hours of homework per night, and the board of education is backing
this claim that certain grades get certain hours of homework per night, then the child must be
receiving the best education that is preparing them for college.
Society is in an era where hard work, which is considered many hours of homework in
the educational world, is going to be the savior of the economic times of the 21st century.
Politicians promise more funding for schools, more rigor in the classroom, and highly qualified
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
5
teachers. Blame is placed on education, students, and teachers for the lack of better economic
times. Increasing the rigor of education should help solve the economic crisis and bring America
up to par with the global economy. Unfortunately, “extensive homework is frequently linked in
our minds to high standard,”(Kralovec & Buell, 2000, pg.35).
As time goes on, the conversations and readings towards education and homework are
found to go towards one common theme when it comes to homework. A student’s homework
grade reflect content mastery. If a student gets all A’s on their assessments, but completes no
homework, they should not be punished (Wormeli, 2003). But if the opposite occurs, a student is
getting D’s on assessments but completing all homework assignments, then corrective action
needs to take place.
Completing an assignment does not reflect content mastery. Some teachers feel that
homework helps make their students responsible. A teacher’s responsibility, is not to judge
whether students are responsible or not by completing the homework. The teacher’s
responsibility is to help students understand and master the content that is being presented.
Assigning homework that does not pertain to the content such as getting forms signed, covering a
textbook, and actually holding students accountable for it in a grade book is inappropriate
(Wormeli, 2008).
As one looks at the all of the paperwork that must be signed and given the economic
times and the hardships of society, one must remember what a family looks like in the 21st
century. Gone are the days of Beaver Cleaver where the mother of the house stayed home and the
father worked. There are few households that do not have parents that are both working full time
jobs in order to pay the bills every month and meet mortgage payments. According to Kralovec
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
6
& Buell (2000), many students have obligations outside of the school day such as preparing
dinner, taking care of their siblings, and doing household chores.
Not every student goes home to a perfectly cleaned desk area to sit and complete their
homework in a nice quiet environment. Looking at the student as a person, not as a student that
needs to do what they are told, can help us understand how that student can best learn. If a
student has trouble at home, then completing twenty mathematics problems a night should not be
the number one priority for that student or for the teacher. It should be the student’s well being
as a person, not just as a learner. As scholars talk about homework spread over the kitchen table,
“we have to recognize that some tables are bigger than others,” (Kravolec & Buell, 2000, p.25).
Many authors and scholars such as Buell, Marzano, Kohn, Cooper, and Wormeli state
“homework given to keep students busy regardless of whether it clarifies, reinforces, or prepares
students for learning is irresponsible,” (Wormeli, 2003, p.116). Authors such as Buell and Kohn
are completely against homework all together. Marzano, Cooper, and Wormeli take the stance
that homework is alright, if it has purpose and meaning, and is not excessive enough to cause
stress.
Over the past decade, we have seen a rise in homework in order to meet the rigor and
demand that is being placed upon our society. Parents and teachers are being told that in order to
meet that rigor, homework policies have been put in place to ensure students are receiving the
correct amount in order to prepare them for high school and beyond. Yet those homework
policies are written with only one type of student in mind, which is the student that goes home
after school, has a perfectly clean desk, and complete’s their homework efficiently. They are not
differentiated, nor do they considered the social context of our students lives.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
7
Many studies have been conducted, yet they have only connected student achievement
and homework. Few have actually gone into what homework does to the student as a whole, how
it impacts their home lives, and what it can do to the classroom. There are many different types
of research, authors, and articles that are in favor of reducing homework amounts in today’s
educational systems.
As time goes on, and more research is conducted, teachers and administrators will have
evidence on how to use homework as a part of a student’s learning, to help them practice the
lesson, concepts, and skills learned during that day. Hopefully it will be designed to improve the
past practices of checking off homework on a daily basis, and ending the practice of averaging in
zeros when a student does not have the chance to complete the assignment due to circumstances
beyond their control. Focus on providing the information necessary to differentiate assignments
to show teachers that improving homework policies in classrooms will reduce stress and anxiety
levels on students at home and within classrooms is a must. Assigning homework every night
for a grade is gone.
Homework
When looking up the definition of the word homework, people can become confused as
to which definition is the most accurate. According to www.merriam-webster.com, homework is
defined as piecework done at home for pay. The definition from www.wordcentral.com is: work
and especially school lessons to be done outside the regular class period. Or the definition from
www.freedictionary.com is: homework is work, such as school work or piecework, that is done at
home. It is no wonder why scholars, teachers, and parents cannot seem to come up with a true
definition. Notice that not one of these definitions has something referring to it being worth a
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
8
certain percentage of a student’s grade. If it is not defined as something that needs to be graded
or used in a student’s average, who are we to say that it should.
So what is homework and where did it come from? According to Cooper (2007), early in
the twentieth century, homework was believed to be an important means for disciplining
children’s minds. Children would have to memorize such things like their multiplication facts. In
the early 20th century, the trend started to move towards less time on homework and more time
either helping out with the family farm, household chores, or getting a job to help the family.
Today, homework is understood to be a nightly assignment. It slips the minds of many
that homework can involve a longterm assignment with many different parts to it.
According to Cooper (2007), the trend toward less homework was reversed in the late
1950’s after the Russians launched the Sputnik satellite. Society started to put pressure on school
systems that the rigor of schools, especially in math and science, needed to be increased in order
to remain in competition with international affairs. This trend seemed to stay status quo, until the
1960’s. According to Cooper (2007), the shift seemed to start moving towards more homework
and was putting too much pressure on students.
Today, we are still stuck in the times after the article A Nation at Risk was published in
the early 1980’s, stating that homework was the only way that America’s educational system
could stop from being mediocre, and rise to the top when it came to competing globally.
Students, teachers, and school systems are being led to believe that more homework is going to
help our society rise above the rest.
The Millennials
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
9
When talking about students, society needs to remember that children come from
different eras and different backgrounds. In the 21st Century, our students have been branded as
The Millennials, or Generation Y. According to Keeter and Taylor (2009), they are the first
generation in human history who regard behaviors like tweeting and texting, along with websites
like Facebook, YouTube, Google and Wikipedia, not as astonishing innovations of the digital era,
but as everyday parts of their social lives and their search for understanding. This generation is
used to instantly getting an answer, and knowing how to communicate more comfortably through
social media. They are also the most ethnically and racially diverse cohort of youth in the
nation’s history.
The Millennials are dealing with a lifestyle that not many of today’s adults have seen. On
one side, they are over-scheduled with things such as soccer, homework, piano lessons, etc.
(Raines, 2002). They are confident and goal oriented. They have had the generation of parents
that were always there for them when something went wrong. Parents are seeing to it that their
child will have a wonderful resume for college, and it is beginning earlier and earlier in their
childhood years. Students’ “lives have become a daily frantic rush in the minivan from school to
soccer to piano lessons and then hours of homework,” (Newsweek as cited in Buell, 2004, p. 31).
Buell (2004) goes on to talk about how the homework is almost used as a time managing tool. It
is almost as if the parents need it just as much as the students do.
On the other end, the Millennial’s are dealing with the pitfalls of the economy. Both
parents, or one in a single parent home, are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. These
parents are rarely home. It is left up to the child to take care of household responsibilities or
younger siblings.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
10
Divorce seems to be an everyday part of life for many of the students that are sitting in
today’s classrooms. Students are experiencing different kinds of home lives. Some are splitting
up their time between parents, which means different households. Some are witnessing divorces
of parents from step-parents, and some are living in single income households that call for more
responsibilities of the student.
Looking at the different settings of the millennial generation speaks volumes about
whether these Millenials are going to be successful with the homework policies set in place by
school districts. Kralovec and Buell (2000) discuss many different types of students in their
book The End of Homework. These authors give examples of two students named Alix and
David. Alix is a teen mom who is unable to complete homework after taking care of a baby that
is ill and preparing dinner for her two brothers and father. David is a student who comes home
from practice, has dinner made by mom, sits down and discusses with his parents what his
assignment is that night, has his dad help him by taking books from their family library for
references. David is able to successfully complete the assignment using his computer on his desk
upstairs in his room.
Looking at those two students, Kralovec and Buell (2000) paint quite a different picture
when it comes to home lives. What about the student that is in the middle of a shared custody
battle that spends some time at mom’s, and some time at dad’s? These students might forget
assignments and seem tired and anxious. There is also the student, who comes from a poor home
life, that will come in without an assignment complete and come out and say that they were
unable to complete the homework because there was a lot going on at home.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
11
From the economy to changing perceptions of what a family is, this generation of
students is dealing with many circumstances that are far beyond their control.
Positive Effects of Homework
Ask students whether it is necessary to practice at a sport to get better, memorize lines to
get the lead in a play, or practice their instrument in order to get better, and they will all answer
yes. It is necessary to practice at anything in order to get better. An athlete is not going to be in
the starting line up if they do not go to practice and work on their skills. If a beginner skier was
put on a black diamond trail the first time up a mountain, they would most likely fall, and walk
down the trail for fear of breaking their leg. Same goes for students that have not mastered the
skills in order to complete their assignment. They walk away from it.
If people such as coaches and band directors use this method, then teachers should be
using it also. Practice is why we assign homework (Wormeli, 2003). Practicing school work can
have positive effects when it comes to students being successful in school. “In experimental
studies, the average student doing homework had a higher unit test score than 73% of students
not doing homework,” (Cooper, 2007, p. 19).
When student athletes are finished with their game, the next day at practice, the coach
focuses on the positives and negatives of the game. Constructive criticism is built into the
practice in order to improve for the next contest. After completing homework, students should
be obtaining positive, constructive feedback from either themselves, their classmates, or their
teachers (Wormeli, 2008). This does not mean teachers grading homework every day for every
student. That would be impossible. Walking around the room and observing the dialogue
between student is enough to get a feeling as to whether your students are on the track to
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
12
becoming successful. Teachers can also step in if the group or pairing is having difficulty, and redirect them in the right direction. This feedback shows that there was importance in the
assignment, and that student learning is important. Taking the time to go over the homework
assignment the next day in class builds respect between teachers and students when it comes to
content. If the homework is not gone over, then the students will think they are wasting their
time.
When students are assigned homework, it can be used as a tool to work together in order
to compare answers to problems, or share notes on what was read. Sharing and collaborating
with peers creates a differentiated environment according to how students can use different
means to access and discuss information. “Homework is given after students have mastered
material. It’s assigned so that students can practice, reinforce, elaborate, prepare, and extend their
understanding, not to learn something new” (Wormeli, 2006, p.117).
Students working together and taking charge of their assignments will create a positive
classroom environment. Students who are not overburdened by the assignment, will come into
class with a positive attitude, eager to see if their answers are correct, and willing to help fellow
classmates. Students who share answers and create dialogue in the class, raise the interest in the
subject, which is a main goal for many teachers and the new Common Core Standards.
Homework should not be graded either. When homework is not graded, teachers,
students, and parents are getting a more accurate picture of the whether or not that student truly
understands the content, not just if the homework was completed. If a student has all A’s on
assessments, then they should not be required to complete the homework (Wormeli, 2003). They
do not need the practice. Not differentiating homework according to student achievement can
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
13
have a detrimental effect on a student’s achievement and outlook on school, which can filter
from one class to the next.
When homework is not the source of stress during family time, it is looked at as a
resourceful tool that can help student’s achievement. It can also be looked as a great
communicator between schools and parents. When students bring home assignments, nightly
homework, and long-term projects, it is showing parents/guardians what is happening in their
child’s classroom and what is being taught. This in turn can create a positive parental
appreciation for teachers and their child’s education (Cooper, 2007).
Not only can homework help academically, but also socially. Students that are practicing
homework skills, not necessarily on a nightly basis, have proven to have greater self-discipline,
better time management, and more independent problem solving (Cooper, 2007), which of
course will be preparing students with real world skills and college and career readiness.
Negative Effects of Homework
Homework is a great tool when used effectively, efficiently, and with purpose. We have
seen how homework can be a great tool for learning, but it can also be a negative tool that
students dread. When overburdened and stressed out by it, homework becomes a negative factor
in student’s lives in the classroom, at home, and on their grade. One of the biggest factors that
leads to negativity with homework is satiation, where when spending too much time on
homework, students can become overexposed and start to see learning as a negative experience
and an inconvenience (Cooper, 2007).
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
14
With the increased amounts of homework in today’s society, many fear that children are
having their childhood taken away from them. They are spending hours at the kitchen table doing
homework instead of using free time to be creative and social.
Many parents are looking at homework as an intrusion into their private home. They are
beginning to speak out about how “our time with our children is meditated by school knowledge
that is often at odds with our own knowledge and beliefs. Many parents come to feel that
engaging in a good dinner table conversation is better for their children than retreating to their
room to complete worksheets,” (Kralovec & Buell, 2000, page 23).
Parents want their children to learn the family values and beliefs that have been passed
down to them. How about knitting and sewing with their grandparents, learning how to make
their grandmother’s sauce, and cooking traditional foods from their cultures? We live in the
melting-pot of the world, yet the cultures seem to be disappearing since children do not have the
time to engage in those traditions. Being a part of a family is being drowned out by school and
homework. Most do not enjoy after school activities like playing outside with the neighborhood
kids, building forts, going fishing, riding bikes, etc. They have too much homework that is worth
a grade, and are scheduled to the hilt because it will look great on their resume for college.
When it comes to grading and the negatives of homework, we are doing an injustice to
our students. Students that have 100% of their homework done but low assessment scores are
only concerned with getting the homework done, and not understanding it. This leads to cheating
and rushing, only to lead to confusion and frustration down the road.
Classroom environment can be affected heavily by the burdens of homework that has no
purpose. Students become stressed, distant, and are afraid to ask questions in the classroom.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
15
Students may start to think whether their teachers care about them, or if they only care about
whether their homework is complete or not (Marzano, Pickering & Pollock, 2001). This in turn
is going to create a resistance to student learning. The student is going to see the teacher as
someone who does not care about them as an individual. This in turn, creates a negative effect
coming from teachers that cannot seem to get out of the downward spiral.
Teachers’ goals should be to instruct their students towards mastery. Holding them
accountable for not doing homework is punitive (Wormeli, 2003) compared to what really
matters in the big picture. That is, if teacher’s know their students. Homework that is given to
students to keep them busy, fill time, teach a concept, create accountability and compliance
(Wormeli, 2006) is creating an atmosphere of distress between the teacher and the student, the
teacher and the home, and students and their home lives.
Homework and the Common Core
Recently, the nation has embarked on an adventure that begins with the new Common
Core Standards and students being College and Career Ready. The standards that have been rewritten by college board professionals and are now adapted by 47 of the 50 states are directed
towards new goals that seem to go along with a new kind of teaching.
Colleges across the nation were seeing discrepancies when it came to the actual grade a
student was earning in a class. Schools were using all different kinds of grading systems to report
whether a student was mastering the concepts taught in class. One of the biggest offenses was
grading homework and the percentage that it represented in the classroom. According to Fisher,
Frey and Pumpian (2011), “homework compliance represents fifty percent of the grade in some
schools and only ten percent of the grade in others,” (p.46 Once again, a student that does not
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
16
complete the homework but passes all of the assessments, could potentially fail that class, lose
scholarships and acceptance to colleges and universities due to the fluctuated grading system in
todays schools.
One of the biggest Core Standards is Speaking and Listening. Teachers are being urged to
have their students more vocal in class and ready to debate. Long gone are the days of lecture
and simple assessments. How is homework tying into all of this?
When students come into class ready to learn, positive, and talking to their peers about
the assignment the previous night, teachers are already hitting that standard without realizing it.
In mathematics, one of the practices is to have students construct viable arguments and critique
the reasoning of others. If homework is not graded, then the classroom can become open for
discussion and free of stress. Students will be able to ask each other questions, defend they way
they solved a problem, and show their peers another way to solve it. “Students see the link
between their practice work and their eventual performance,” (Fisher, Frey and Pumpian, 2011,
p.50). This is the same model that are used in college and universities. Students are going to
encounter classes where they are expected to read and study, but the only grade they will receive
is the actual assessments they take in class.
Common Core has painted a new picture when it comes to education. New standards
based report cards are beginning to take shape in schools instead of regular letter grades. Once
standards based report cards are implemented, then homework can longer be counted. They are
only based on whether the student mastered a concept or not.
Conclusion
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
17
Through research and practice, teachers will hopefully become more open minded to the
issue of whether grading homework and assigning excessive amounts of it are realistic.
Research shows that the debate over homework is sensitive and ongoing. “Homework policies
and practices press people’s buttons,” (Wormeli, 2003, p.116). Past practices include teachers
walking around the room checking off whether or not students completed the homework that was
assigned. If the assignment was not complete, a zero was put in the grade book. Those zeros
add up and create a delusion of the level of student mastery in a particular subject area.
There are many teachers that are still for grading homework and checking it everyday.
What they are failing to understand is that they are grading students on being compliant, not
whether they understand the content. According to Vatterott (2011), “almost 70 percent of U.S.
teachers said that they used homework assignments to calculate student grades,” (p.61). This is
creating such a distorted view of what the student really knows. Teachers do not realize that
homework can still be assigned, just not graded. It will take students some time to realize the
impact this has on their grade if they choose to just not do it. Over time, they will understand
and start to take ownership of their learning. Attendance, behavior, or extra credit have nothing
to do with course objectives.
When looking at grading policies, teachers and administrators need to understand the
impact homework can have on a students grade on a report card. The grade could potentially
harm the student emotionally, socially, and academically because they didn’t do the homework.
What the report card does not tell is whether or not the student failed to complete the homework
due to circumstances outside of their control.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
18
Students could fail for not completing or doing homework assignments, even if he/she
mastered all the concepts the teacher had to teach (Wormeli, 2003). Those zeroes create such a
distortion of grades they become an inaccurate measure of the students true grasp on that content
(Wormeli, 2006). Many school districts use the simple approach to homework; each student
should get ten minutes of homework per grade level. This type of policy does not accommodate
the different learners and home lives that effect those learners that are present in those school
systems.
New policies are beginning to use many strategies involving differentiation. Not
assigning homework on weekends or holidays (Wormeli, 2003), assigning homework that has
meaning to the student and the subject matter, and not over penalizing a student that cannot
complete homework due to circumstances beyond their control.
School should be looked at as a positive influence on a child’s life, not something that the
student feels as an anxiety stricken activity from Monday through Friday.
The needs of the 21st Century learner are constantly changing. They are dealing with
different emotional issues than we did as students at their age levels. The global economy is
expanding and encompassing more countries and technology faster and more available than ever.
Students across the grades are seeing an increase in homework that needs to be stopped. Students
need to go outside, socialize, play with friends, create bonds and learn to communicate.
Schools have eight hours of that child’s life; schools should not demand more. There is
more to schooling than being successful in a subject matter. Students need to learn how to
become responsible global citizens and family members. Educators should be looking at the
students as a person and a learner. Teachers should take into account the emotional changes and
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
19
the fact that they cannot escape the social world upon returning home. They are connected
through the internet and cell phones, which can create negative feelings and anxieties.
Differentiating instruction and assignments should become a constant presence in the
classroom. Homework policies should be changed in order to create a positive learning
environment for each student. Students should be accepted for who they are, not who teachers
want them to be (Wormeli, 2003). Research and knowledge will hopefully change policies in
school systems, and drive teachers to be innovative when it comes to homework.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
20
Teacher-as-Researcher
Purpose of the Study
In approaching this research, a mixed methods study will be used. The intent of this
mixed methods study is to examine the negative effects of grading homework. Rick Wormeli,
states that “homework given to keep students busy regardless of whether it clarifies, reinforces,
or prepares students for learning is irresponsible,” (Wormeli, 2003, p.116) In this study, student’s
final averages will be used to measure the relationship between homework assignments and the
effects on students grades. At the same time, the negative effects of excessive amounts of
homework will be explored using interviews, surveys, and observations of students, parents, and
teachers at a school. The reason for combining both quantitative and qualitative data is to better
understand this research problem by converging opinions and numerical data and become an
advocate to change homework policies.
Significance of the Study
The significance of this study is to expand on the research that has already been
conducted on homework. Wormeli states that “if we want to be successful, we have to know our
student as individuals and as learners,” (Wormeli, 2003, p.19).
Through surveys, observations, and interviews of students, parents, and teachers, this
study will also provide qualitative data that focuses on the impact of grading homework and a set
of quantitative data that will focus on the positive and negative effects of homework on a
student’s grade.
Through this research, teachers will have evidence on how to use homework as a part of a
student’s learning, to help them practice the lesson, concepts, and skills learned during that day.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
21
This research is designed to improve the past practices of checking off homework on a
daily basis, and ending the practice of averaging in zeros when a student does not have the
chance to complete the assignment due to circumstances beyond their control. It will also focus
on providing the information necessary to differentiate assignments to show teachers that
improving homework policies in classrooms will reduce stress and anxiety levels on students at
home and within classrooms.
Lastly, the data used in showing the differences in grade averages using old homework
policies and new ones will push for change from board of educations and administrations
regarding their homework policies to be more comprehensive towards the Millennial student.
Design and Methods of the Study
This study will use a sequential transformative mixed-methods approach to acquire data
pertaining to the negative effects of homework. Using a mixed-method sequential approach will
enable the researcher to expand on the findings of one method with another (Creswell, 2009).
Through this method, I will be able to focus on the thoughts, feelings, and opinions through my
qualitative analysis, and then further my study through measurable quantitative data built off of
the qualitative data. According to Creswell (2009), “a sequential transformative researcher may
be able to give voice to diverse perspectives, to better advocate for participants, or to better
understand a phenomenon or process that is changing as a result of being studied.” Using the
data and findings involved with this approach, I will be able to advocate for change in grading
practices involving middle schools homework policies.
Data-Gathering Techniques
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
22
I will be gathering data for this research through a mixed-methods approach. In the first
stage of research, I will be focusing on qualitative research. I will be using surveys, interviews,
and observations in order to obtain the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of parents/guardians of
students and the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of teachers. I will use this approach in order to
become familiar with the underlying thoughts and opinions of those teachers, students, and
parents that will drive my quantitative data collection.
In the second stage, the quantitative data collection will consist of a controlled sample set
of students. One sample set will be manipulated using the grading policy with out counting
homework, and the other will remain in effect with homework counting in final grades to create a
measurable comparison between the two different situations. Surveys designed in a close-ended
approach to measure opinions and thoughts can/will also be used in the quantitative stage.
All research will be conducted under a volunteer basis and all names will remain
anonymous. Therefore, my selection for a sample population will be based on the volunteer of
parents, students, and teachers. Teachers who volunteer will be asked to participate in surveys,
observation of classrooms, and changing of their grading policies for the purpose of the study.
Surveys for parents and teachers will be conducted through methods of mailing out, and
directing sample sets to a web based survey site. Surveys pertaining to students, who have the
signed consent of parents, will be issued during a class period during school hours under direct
teacher supervision.
Observations will only be conducted in classrooms, not in private home settings.
Teachers will be reassured that observations will remain anonymous, and have no bearing on
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
23
their personnel file or tenure status per their teacher union contract. The only field indicator will
be the grade level. All teachers’ subject areas and names will remain anonymous.
Interviews will be conducted after school hours at set times. Parents, teachers, and
students, with written parental consent, may participate in the interview process. If participants
choose to participate in the survey or observational aspect of the research, they are not required
to participate in the interviews, and vice versa.
Quantitative data will be collected based on the manipulation of grades. Written notice
will go home to parents/guardians assuring them that the different grading practices will be kept
separate from formal grading practices for progress report and report card purposes, and that all
research implemented grading will be used for research purposes only.
Method and Analysis of Data
My research will be conducted and analyzed in two different phases. Phase-One focuses
on qualitative data and research questions. It will consist of open-ended surveys and interviews
of the parent/guardian, teachers and students. Surveys in phase one are designed in order to hear
the voices of the participants initially without any manipulation of student grades and/or policies.
Participants will be asked specific questions pertaining to their home life, the classroom, and
student achievement. Participants are allowed to express thoughts, concerns, likes and/or
dislikes concerning homework. Focus areas for phase one are stress at home, in classroom, and
on student; thoughts on homework policies whether they are positive or negative; whether
homework is a useful tool for a child to be successful in school?
Phase-Two will consist of close ended, quantitative based, surveys that will be developed
according to the responses received in Phase-One. Questions on this survey will use a numeric
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
24
rating scale and specific answers in order to create a quantitative percentage that will accurately
represent thoughts and opinions on the topic. During this phase, a new grading system will be
implemented in teacher’s classrooms that volunteered to participate in the study. The student’s
class average (dependent variable) will change in response to the manipulation of the grading
system and weighting of scores (independent variables). This will provide quantitative,
measurable feedback. Grading systems will serve two purposes: show student achievement
using an old homework grading policy where homework is weighted heavily, and also show
student achievement using a new grading system that aligns with the beliefs of the conceptual
framework that homework should not be included in a students final average. The comparison
will be kept completely separate from the teachers true grading practices and used only for the
study.
Limitations
With any research that is to be conducted, there are many limitations that may occur that
can limit the validity of the outcome. First and foremost, my opinion in this study is biased. I
strongly believe in limiting homework and do not feel that it is necessary to punish a student for
not being able to complete it. I also strongly believe in knowing your students as a person,
which includes after school activities, their home lives, etc.
Second, students and teachers may communicate what they think is happening in their
classroom with their grades. They may share opinions and ideas and influence the outcome of
the research. Therefore, proper steps will be taken to limit the awareness of when their
homework is necessarily being counted or not.
Conclusion
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
25
Using the past research that has been done, I will focus the findings on the generation that
has been labeled the Millennial’s. Students are a distinct group of individuals that are just now
starting to create and make an impact on the world and society. Many of the policies that are
established by board of educations and administrators are based upon past practices. My
research will use the findings to create new policies that match the uniqueness of the Millennial
generation.
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
26
References
Beaty-O’Ferrall, M., Green, A., Hanna, F. (2010, March) Classroom Management Strategies for
Difficult Students: Promoting Change though Relationships. Middle School Journal,
4-10 Taken from www.nmsa.com
Brooks, D. (November, 2000). Whats the Matter with Kids Today? Not a Thing. Taken from
http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/11/05/reviews/001105.05brookst.html
Buell, J. (2004). Closing the Book on Homework: Enhancing Public Education and Freeing
Family Time. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Cooper, H. (2007). The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators,
Teachers, and Parents. (3rd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Creswell, J. R. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Cushman, K. (September 2010). Show Us What Homework’s For. Educational Leadership,
66(1), 74-78.
Dougherty, E. (2012). Assignments Matter: Making Connections That Help Students Meet
Standards. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Falco, L., Crether, H., & Bauman, S. (2008). Skill-Builders: Improving Middle School Students’
Self-Beliefs for Learning Mathematics. Professional School Counseling, 11(4), 229-235.
Retrieved from ERIC database.
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Pumpian, I. (2011). No Penalties for Practice. Educational Leadership,
69(3), 46-51
Heacox, Diane (2002). Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach and
Teach All Learners, Grades 3-12. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.
Jackson, A. (2009, May). New Middle Schools for New Futures. Middle School Journal,
40 (5), 6-10.
Keeter, S., Taylor, P. (2009, December 11). The Millennials. Pew Research Center
Publications. Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1437/millenials-profile
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
27
Kohn, A. (2007, January/February) Rethinking Homework. Principal Retrieved from
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/rethinkinghomework.htm
Kohn, A. (2006) The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing.
Philadelphia, PA: Perseus Books Group
Kohn, A. (1996). Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community. Alexandria, Virginia:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Kralovec, E., Buell, J. (2001, April). End Homework Now. Educational Leadership, 58 (7), 3942.
Kralovec, E., Buell, B. (2000) The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families,
Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press
Marx, G. (2006) Sixteen Trends: Their Profound Impact on Our Future. Alexandria, VA:
Educational Research Service.
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Pollock, J. (2001) Classroom Instruction that Works : Research
Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Alexandria, Virginia: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Marzano, R. J. (2003). Classroom Management that Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Every Teacher. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983, April). A Nation at Risk: The
Imperative for Educational Reform. Taken from http://datacenter.spps.org/uploads/
SOTW_A_Nation_at_Risk_1983.pdf
Parker, A. (2010). A Longitudinal Investigation of Young Adolescents’ Self-Concepts in the
Middle Grades. RMLE Online: Research in Middle Level Education, 33(10), 1-13.
Raines, C. (2002). Managing Millennials. Taken from http://www.generationsatwork.com/
articles/millenials.htm
Ratnesar, R., Donley, M., Gribben, S., Fowler, D., Harrison, L., Morse, J., & Murphy, T.
(1999, January 25). The Homework Ate My Family. Time. Retrieved from
http://www.time.com/time/ magazine/article/0,9171,9900065,00.html
Scriffiny, P. L. (2008). Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading. Educational Leadership,
66(2), 70-74
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
28
Seligman, K. (2009, December 19). Parents: Too much homework. Even grade
schoolers toil for hours a night. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved from
http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1999/12/19/NEWS4221.dtl&type=pri
ntable.
Stevenson, A. (2009, September 4). Probing Question: Is homework bad for kids?.
Retrieved from http://www.physorg.com/print171267016.html
Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All
Learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms.
Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Vatterott, C. (2009) Rethinking Homework. Article taken from http://www.ascd.org/
publications/ books/108071/chapters/The-Cult(ure)-of-Homework.aspx
Vatterott, C. (2010, August) Five Steps to More Effective Homework. Middle Ground, pages
29-33.
Vatterott, C. (2011). Making Homework Central to Learning. Educational Leadership, 69(3),
60-64
Wallis, C. (2006, August) The Myth About Homework. Time Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1376208,00.html
Wormeli, R. (2001) Meet Me in the Middle: Becoming an Accomplished Middle-Level
Teacher. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.
Wormeli, R. (2003). Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle Level
Teachers. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers
Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated
Classroom. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers
Wormeli, R. (2007). Differentiation: From Planning to Practice Grades 6-12. Portland,
Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.
Wormeli, R. (2008, April). Teaching in the Middle. Middle Ground, 11 (4), 41-42. Taken
http://nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleGround/Articles/April2008/Article18/tabid/1666/
Default.aspx
© Melissa Luke 2013
GRADING HOMEWORK
29
Wormeli, Rick. (n.d.). Re: “Meet me in the Middle.” Retrieved from
http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/ricktalk.html
www.corestandards.com
© Melissa Luke 2013