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Does Homework Improve 1




DOES HOMEWORK IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT?




  Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987-2003



              Harris Cooper, Jorgianne Civey Robinson, and Erika A. Patall

          Review of Educational Research Spring 2006, Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 1-62




                                   Touro University

                                       EDU 710

                                 College of Education

                                      March 2010
Does Homework Improve 2




                                            Abstract



The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and analyze information gathered from a large variety

of studies over a long time period and update and reassess that information. Over 69 prior

research studies were analyzed. Homework was defined as any task assigned by schoolteachers

intended for students to carry out during non-school hours. Researchers conducted their analysis

twice; once employing fixed error assumptions and once using random error assumptions.

Recognition was made that the homework impact varies from student to student depending on

how much each student is assigned or completes and the amount of homework reported varied

depending on how the question is asked. Finally, researchers aligned similar studies and

excluded those done without proper methodology.
Does Homework Improve 3




   Analysis of “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research,

                                             1987-2003”

       The question guiding the research is “Does Homework Improve Academic

Achievement?” 69 research studies carried out between the years 1987 and 2003 were

reanalyzed and compared using four research designs. Since advocates for or against homework

have been able to cite single studies to support or refute their positions, the intent of the

researchers was to collect as much evidence as possible on the effects of homework using

research conducted since 1987. Researchers were looking to define the best policies and

practices that will (a) help students to obtain the optimum education benefit from homework, and

(b) help parents to find ways to integrate homework into a healthy and well-rounded family life.

The purpose of conducting this new analysis of the past studies was to update the evidence about

the effects of homework, to determine if questions left unanswered in the past can now be

answered, and to apply new methods of analyzing the data.

Methods

       Researchers collected data from a Eric, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and

Dissertation Abstracts electronic databases. They also searched the Science Citation Index

Expanded and the Social Sciences Citation Index databases from 1987-2004.

In addition, Deans of 77 colleges, school, or departments of education at research-intensive

institutions were asked to share any similar studies. They also contacted 21 researchers who had

been major authors on similar studies. Lastly, they sent letters to research directors of over a
Does Homework Improve 4


hundred school districts. An overwhelming 4,400 studies were identified. Two researchers then

examined the title, abstract or document.

       Included studies had to have estimated the relationship between a measure of homework

activity on the part of students and a measure of achievement. Studies had to assess students in

kindergarten through 12th grade. Studies on preschool children or postsecondary students were

excluded. Also, only studies conducted in the United States were included.

       In the first design, exogenous manipulation of homework, researchers recorded the

number of students and classroom included in the homework and no-homework conditions at the

beginning and end of the experiment; the grade level of the students; the subject matter; the

number of assignments per week and their durations; the measure of achievement; and the

magnitude of the relationship between homework and achievement.

       The next design analyzed studies that took naturalistic, cross-sectional measure of the

amount of time the students spent on homework without any intervention on the part of the

researchers and related these to an achievement-related measure. They looked at the same

variables as in the exogenous manipulation studies.

       The third type of design was a simpler comparison of time spent on homework and the

measure of achievement. They again recorded the same variables. These studies did include

information on the students’ sex, socioeconomic status, and if any academic labels (gifted,

average, “at risk”, under-achieveing/below grade level, possessing a learning disability, over-

achieveing/above grade level) were applied to the students.

       Since three different measure of association were used, they employed a beta-weight

correlation coefficient which they developed. Data integration was achieved by (a) calculating

average effect size, (b) a shifting unit of analysis approach, (c) using homogeneity analyses, (d)
Does Homework Improve 5


conducting the analysis twice, employing fixed-error assumptions once and random-error

assumptions once.

Results

          No matter what type of study was conducted the results indicated a positive relationship

between homework and achievement. Although each of the set of studies contained flaws, the

studies tended not to share the same flaws. There was a wide variety of students providing data.

In addition, the studies were conducted in multiple subject areas.

          60 correlations between homework and achievement were reported in 32 documents. 50

correlations were in a positive direction and 19 in a negative direction.

          Caution was suggested that this was just an association between the variables and not a

causal connection. Noted was the fact that there was strong evidence that homework and

achievement were positively related for secondary school students. A small negative relationship

was found for elementary school students. Student reports about the relationship of homework

and achievement were significant but parent reports produced a near-zero correlation. Since this

analysis came from only parents of elementary school students this analysis was excluded. While

there were a few exceptions, the overwhelming conclusion was that homework causes improved

academic achievement.

Discussion

          This research was incredibly thorough and accounted for almost every variable a

researcher could think of. Researchers were careful to point out that they were only looking at

the effect of homework on achievement, not the effect of achievement on homework. Remaining

questions include: (a) the socioeconomic differences between reporting schools (b) what type of

homework was analyzed? (c) were completion rates and achievement rates higher for project
Does Homework Improve 6


based homework versus traditional worksheets? (d) was length of school day a factor in

completion versus achievement rates? (e) how were homework conditions analyzed?

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Apa lit review #1

  • 1. Does Homework Improve 1 DOES HOMEWORK IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT? Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987-2003 Harris Cooper, Jorgianne Civey Robinson, and Erika A. Patall Review of Educational Research Spring 2006, Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 1-62 Touro University EDU 710 College of Education March 2010
  • 2. Does Homework Improve 2 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and analyze information gathered from a large variety of studies over a long time period and update and reassess that information. Over 69 prior research studies were analyzed. Homework was defined as any task assigned by schoolteachers intended for students to carry out during non-school hours. Researchers conducted their analysis twice; once employing fixed error assumptions and once using random error assumptions. Recognition was made that the homework impact varies from student to student depending on how much each student is assigned or completes and the amount of homework reported varied depending on how the question is asked. Finally, researchers aligned similar studies and excluded those done without proper methodology.
  • 3. Does Homework Improve 3 Analysis of “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987-2003” The question guiding the research is “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?” 69 research studies carried out between the years 1987 and 2003 were reanalyzed and compared using four research designs. Since advocates for or against homework have been able to cite single studies to support or refute their positions, the intent of the researchers was to collect as much evidence as possible on the effects of homework using research conducted since 1987. Researchers were looking to define the best policies and practices that will (a) help students to obtain the optimum education benefit from homework, and (b) help parents to find ways to integrate homework into a healthy and well-rounded family life. The purpose of conducting this new analysis of the past studies was to update the evidence about the effects of homework, to determine if questions left unanswered in the past can now be answered, and to apply new methods of analyzing the data. Methods Researchers collected data from a Eric, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and Dissertation Abstracts electronic databases. They also searched the Science Citation Index Expanded and the Social Sciences Citation Index databases from 1987-2004. In addition, Deans of 77 colleges, school, or departments of education at research-intensive institutions were asked to share any similar studies. They also contacted 21 researchers who had been major authors on similar studies. Lastly, they sent letters to research directors of over a
  • 4. Does Homework Improve 4 hundred school districts. An overwhelming 4,400 studies were identified. Two researchers then examined the title, abstract or document. Included studies had to have estimated the relationship between a measure of homework activity on the part of students and a measure of achievement. Studies had to assess students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Studies on preschool children or postsecondary students were excluded. Also, only studies conducted in the United States were included. In the first design, exogenous manipulation of homework, researchers recorded the number of students and classroom included in the homework and no-homework conditions at the beginning and end of the experiment; the grade level of the students; the subject matter; the number of assignments per week and their durations; the measure of achievement; and the magnitude of the relationship between homework and achievement. The next design analyzed studies that took naturalistic, cross-sectional measure of the amount of time the students spent on homework without any intervention on the part of the researchers and related these to an achievement-related measure. They looked at the same variables as in the exogenous manipulation studies. The third type of design was a simpler comparison of time spent on homework and the measure of achievement. They again recorded the same variables. These studies did include information on the students’ sex, socioeconomic status, and if any academic labels (gifted, average, “at risk”, under-achieveing/below grade level, possessing a learning disability, over- achieveing/above grade level) were applied to the students. Since three different measure of association were used, they employed a beta-weight correlation coefficient which they developed. Data integration was achieved by (a) calculating average effect size, (b) a shifting unit of analysis approach, (c) using homogeneity analyses, (d)
  • 5. Does Homework Improve 5 conducting the analysis twice, employing fixed-error assumptions once and random-error assumptions once. Results No matter what type of study was conducted the results indicated a positive relationship between homework and achievement. Although each of the set of studies contained flaws, the studies tended not to share the same flaws. There was a wide variety of students providing data. In addition, the studies were conducted in multiple subject areas. 60 correlations between homework and achievement were reported in 32 documents. 50 correlations were in a positive direction and 19 in a negative direction. Caution was suggested that this was just an association between the variables and not a causal connection. Noted was the fact that there was strong evidence that homework and achievement were positively related for secondary school students. A small negative relationship was found for elementary school students. Student reports about the relationship of homework and achievement were significant but parent reports produced a near-zero correlation. Since this analysis came from only parents of elementary school students this analysis was excluded. While there were a few exceptions, the overwhelming conclusion was that homework causes improved academic achievement. Discussion This research was incredibly thorough and accounted for almost every variable a researcher could think of. Researchers were careful to point out that they were only looking at the effect of homework on achievement, not the effect of achievement on homework. Remaining questions include: (a) the socioeconomic differences between reporting schools (b) what type of homework was analyzed? (c) were completion rates and achievement rates higher for project
  • 6. Does Homework Improve 6 based homework versus traditional worksheets? (d) was length of school day a factor in completion versus achievement rates? (e) how were homework conditions analyzed?