Dr. Nkechi Fluker is a director and educator in the virtual learning environment in the United States. She also does work as a content writer/subject matter expert, author, and educational consultant for educators and parents. She has worked within the educational field for 18 years, with 11 years as a middle school math teacher along with being a student teacher mentor, curriculum development specialist, and more. Nkechi believes in using students’ learning styles, creativity, and problem-solving strategies to help students become successful in math and learning in general. She also understands the challenges teachers and parents face in the classroom and homeschool learning environments. Her foundational belief system and way of life have influenced her teaching methods and starting a virtual school in August 2021. She continues to support educators in the classroom and at home to have a purposeful learning experience.
“Homework, homework where are you?”
And the expected answer the teacher wants to hear is “Here I am, here I am.”
Unfortunately, that is not the case in many situations. Homework is a struggle issue in many classes and continues even with the “golden assist” of technology. So how do we solve this so-called, never-ending issue within the classrooms?
Research has shown that homework benefits students by allowing them to practice the concepts learned. This is especially true for mathematics which involves multiple steps, such as planning how to solve the problem, completing the step-by-step process which can include unique steps and processes, along with reflecting or checking the solution. However, research also reveals that there is no significant correlation between homework and a student’s performance on their state assessments. Many teachers say students need to practice because there is not enough time in the classroom. On the other hand, some students do not have adequate support at home, and many times due to demands within the home, homework doesn’t get done or the timeless response, “My dog ate it”. Other pros and cons about homework include students learning to focus and study specific information to be assessed, showing proof of concept understanding, stressful, time-consuming, and ineffective.
As a former teacher in a traditional classroom setting, I have advocated for homework, but nowadays I understand the reasons to do away with it. However, I still believe there is a good balance between the two by having homework be purposeful, direct, and occur a few times a week as opposed to occurring daily and being super extra. For example, a student does not need 50 math calculation problems to understand that two plus two equals four. Although this is an extreme case, you get the point.
The reason for homework was due to the short class times, the state standards, and trying to teach all those standards effectively during one school year to a diverse group of students. Then all the other expectations on top of that. It is overwhelming and seems impossible to some. Homework is not about just extra work, but the true practice of the concepts taught. Things do need to change and decisions need to be made to best support student learning outside of the classroom. Some teachers have introduced flip classrooms, where students learn or are introduced to a topic via video at home and then discuss and add on to the classroom learning. The aim is to minimize classroom instruction time and maximize hands-on application of the concept. Others have assigned work occasionally making it purposeful practice such as a part of a project. According to Kohn, the questions that should be asked about the homework assignment pertain to the student’s excitement about the topic and learning in general and if it helps them to think more deeply about questions that matter (Education.com). This must be done efficiently.
Therefore, let’s not abandon homework entirely. It is needed, but adjustments need to be made. If we invest in it wisely, we will get a better return.
References
Education.com. (2013, July 29). The homework debate. Education.com. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.education.com/magazine/article/The_Homework_Debate/?gclid=CjwKCAjwy aWZBhBGEiwACslQo5i-nNmNb1bAvu0MAnEZKd3Qfvi2- 6sN1DoPr17qTWsD6HQ9pL715hoCeuEQAvD_BwE