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Abstract

Much attention is placed on helping students develop as complex and creative thinkers, yet many classrooms continue to use learning structures without examining their effectiveness. This is often the case with homework. Research findings on the effectiveness of homework are mixed, and few studies have examined students' and educators' perspectives on the benefits of homework as a learning structure. The study reported in this article examined the perspectives of these two groups in a culturally and socio-economically diverse middle school. Several differences were found between the two groups' perceptions of the benefits and purposes of homework. The implications of the findings for student engagement in learning are discussed.

The learning outcomes desired for students today are greatly different than they were even a quarter of a century ago. Attention has shifted toward helping students to develop as complex thinkers and creative problem solvers within communities of collaboration (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2015). However, many schools still reflect practices and structures from the turn of the previous century (Kliebard, 2004). In secondary schools, learning structures need to be appropriate for creating experiences that are developmentally responsive to the nature and needs of adolescents (Association of Middle Level Education [AMLE], 2010). Learning experiences should, therefore, not only support required learning outcomes but also be adapted to the actual circumstances of learning.

Much could be done to restructure the framework for enacting teaching and learning in middle schools in ways that would support students' academic and affective development (AMLE, 2010; Roney, Anfara, & Brown, 2008). Far too often, however, the structures of day-to-day educational experiences have become so engrained that their appropriateness is rarely questioned. Homework is one of these engrained structures. This is not to say that homework cannot be effective, but rather that the construct of homework needs to be examined. This study examined homework in one middle school by analyzing the extent to which students, teachers, and administrators valued it as an effective learning practice.

Questioning the Benefits of Homework

As a middle school mathematics teacher in a culturally, linguistically, and socio-economically diverse community, I encountered many students who struggled with mathematics. During my first year of teaching I had implemented several different homework policies with the hope of finding a policy that...

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