The effects of practice and working-practice homework on the math achievement of elementary school students showing varying levels of math performance

Abstract

While homework has been an active research area, clear documentation of the effects of homework on academic achievement using students showing varying levels of academic performance has not been explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of math calculation homework on the math performance of elementary school students demonstrating varying levels of achievement in math. The study also explored the effects of practice homework and a different type of homework, working-practice homework, which incorporated drill ratio procedures on math achievement. Ninety participants, who were all enrolled in the fifth grade at a Mid-Atlantic, suburban school district, completed the study. After completing a pretest, the participants were blocked into one of three achievement groups (top, middle, and lower) based on their pretest scores and randomly assigned either practice or working-practice homework for 6 weeks. The posttest results indicated no statistically significant differences between the two homework types overall or within each level of achievement group. Regardless of homework type assigned, participants on average demonstrated academic progress for the math calculation skills covered in the presence of instruction; however, between the level of achievement groups, the participants appeared to respond differently.