The Effects of Homework on Learning ABSTRACT from dissertation

According to a 2004 national survey of 2,900 American children conducted by the University of Michigan, the amount of time spent on homework is up 51% since 1981. At a time of testing and high-stakes accountability, teachers seem to be afraid to not give homework due to concern over being seen as an "easy teacher." In contrast, many scholars in the education literature have called for the wholesale abolishment of homework. In order to determine the truth about the efficacy of homework, this qualitative study examines the homework experiences of 26 teachers in rural middle schools in a northeastern state in the United States. The primary data collection method was survey, which was supported by phone interviews and conversations. The data were coded and analyzed according to the research questions: What are the perceptions of middle school American teachers as they relate to scholarly concerns about homework usefulness and its association with academic success with middle school children? What does the available data, as well as the data collected from the research of this study, show about the efficacy of different kinds of homework? How has homework changed? The research resulted in three major themes that emerged out of the experiences shared by the rural middle school teachers: 1) teachers' experiences of homework; 2) teachers' practice of assigning homework in the classroom; 3) teachers' perceptions of homework. The researcher analyzed each of these themes through the use of Nvivo software and the Fisher Test. The experiences covered in this study serve as a framework for discussion about the gap that exists between teachers' experiences and the practical and meaningful application of homework for the 21st century students. The researcher carefully considers the gap between actual and perceived values and makes recommendations for addressing this gap.