1. HOMEWORK
What the research says

2. WHY THIS MEETING?

3. For effective curriculum change we need:
• Shared understanding of the issues
• An agreed purpose and vision
• Ownership and control of the change

5. DEBATES ABOUT
HOMEWORK HAVE BEEN
AROUND FOR A LONG TIME…

6. LATE C19-EARLY C20

7. Homework was controversial:
• In 1897 research demonstrated that memorising lists of
words did not improve spelling.
• Considered to infringe on parental rights and parental
authority
• Disrupted family life and interfered with home duties
• Detrimental to good health of students
• Prevented engagement in beneficial out of school
activities.

8. 3 Key Questions
• Is homework beneficial for student achievement
outcomes?
• Does homework help to develop the skills of independent,
self-directed learning in students?
• Is parents’ involvement in their childrens’ homework
activities beneficial for achievement, motivation and the
development of independent learning skills?

9. ACTIVITY

10. Homework and Student Achievement
Read pages 8-10 of the Homework Policy: Research Scan
1. What impact does time spent on homework have on
academic improvement (positive and negative effects)
2. What impact does no homework have on student
achievement?
3. How does quality of homework impact on achievement?
4. How does homework impact on student achievement at
different year levels
5. What are the implications for our school?

11. IS HOMEWORK
BENEFICIAL?
(Student achievement outcomes)

12. Experimental and Correlational Research
“While there is support for the achievement benefits of
homework at the senior high school level, and to a
considerably lesser extent a the middle school level, there
is almost no support for benefits at the primary school
level.”
M Horsely and R Walker (2013), Reforming Homework: practices learning and policy,
Palgrave Macmillan p24

13. Experimental and Correlational Research
“…while there is support for homework in the high school
context, this support should be tempered by the relatively
large number of negative or non-supportive findings and
the weak quality of some of the research.”
M Horsely and R Walker (2013), Reforming Homework: practices learning and policy,
Palgrave Macmillan p24

14. DOES HOMEWORK DEVELOP
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
SKILLS?

15. Common beliefs about homework:
• Leads to independent, self-directed and self-regulated
learning
• Helps students develop greater sense of own
responsibility for achievement outcomes
There has been little research to support these beliefs

16. There is clear evidence that:
• self-regulated learning skills can be taught
• Approriate and explicit classroom teaching can develop
self-regulated learning skills in primary school children
• Limited support for view that homework develops self-
regulatory skills and sense or responsibility – Warton
(1997)

17. Warton’s Study:
• Australian children in years 2, 4 and 6
• Children considered purpose of homework was to learn or
revise.
• All children understood they should be responsible for
completing homework.
• Younger children more likely to be regulated by parents.
• Some support for a developmental progression in
responsibility for homework and transition from regulation
to self-regulation.
• Weak support for homework being responsible for
developing self-regulating skills.

18. Conclusions from review of studies into
self-regulation and homework
• Quality of homework is associated with quantity of
homework completed
• Older students more capable of self-regulation but may
engage less with homework ahs motivation decreases.
• Older students may consider costs of doing homework
outweigh the benefits.

19. ACTIVITY

20. Discuss
• Did you learn anything new about homework and student
self regulation?
• What are the implications for our school policy?

21. TO BE CONTINUED…

22. Next week
• How parents help or hinder the success of a homework
program
• What are the more effective models of homework
• Implications for our homework programs – developing
quality homework tasks.

23. Further Reading
• Homework research scan
• Research into parental involvement
• Evaluation of the NSW DET homework policy