Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of the Purposes and Effectiveness of Homework

• Main Author: Pollard, Steve J
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest LLC 2023
• Subjects: Educational Practices; Elementary School Teachers; Grade 3; Grade 4; Grade 5; Homework; Influences; Parent Participation; Program Effectiveness; Student Motivation; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Responsibility; Teaching Experience; Virginia
• ISBN: 9798374499995

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the purposes and effectiveness of homework and effective and ineffective homework strategies at the elementary level. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of six elementary teachers from one public school division in the southeast region of the Commonwealth of Virginia who implement homework in third- through fifth-grade classrooms. The qualitative data were collected through semistructured interviews, which allowed participants to share their experiences with assigning homework to their students. Six teachers, two per grade level, participated in the one-on-one virtual interviews that were conducted to gather data to answer the research questions that led the study. Using Braun and Clarke's (2006) theme analysis qualitative analytic technique and NVivo software, four overarching themes emerged: (a) purposeful practice, (b) student motivation, (c) parental partnerships, and (d) influences on perceptions. The results revealed that teachers perceived the purposes of homework to be related to improving student outcomes and enhancing their educational experience, while homework's effectiveness was characterized by analyzing data, student feedback, and parental support. Teachers are responsible for developing and implementing homework, and they have the most influence on its efficacy. Effective homework strategies based on the lived experience of the teachers include establishing expectations and procedures, purposeful planning, flexibility over fixed practices, employing a monitoring system, cultivating motivation, supporting students' mental health, balancing students' school and home life, and considering family support, while ineffective strategies lacked purposeful practice, decreased motivation, and alienated parental partnerships. Teacher experience was perceived to have the greatest influence on teachers' perceptions of homework's effectiveness. As a result of this research, teachers and educational leaders can glean meaningful insight into elementary teachers' perceptions of homework and apply this knowledge to improve the overall implementation of homework in the elementary setting. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]