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The effects of homework style on completion and test scores in high school biology
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2019) Gibson, Chelsea Elise; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter Woolbaugh
Students doing poorly on summative assessments have long been a concern for teachers. I, and many fellow teachers, believe that homework has a direct effect on student test scores. We tend to believe that if students do their homework, they will be prepared and do well on their tests. This got me thinking about ways to improve student test scores using different styles of homework assignments. The purpose of this study is to determine if the style of homework; paper or digital, have an impact on student homework completion and summative test scores. Students experienced altering styles of homework during four biology units, these included: all paper, all digital, and half paper and half digital, and student choice. Data was collected using post-unit surveys, interviews, unit assessments, and homework checks. The results suggest that simply completing homework itself remains the most important factor of success. Homework style did not significantly influence homework completion or student performance on assessments for all students, but did impact select individuals. Data also shows that student choice had a positive impact on motivation overall.