Homework choice in the high school science classroom

Abstract

Homework is a critical part of the learning experience for high school students. Homework that is completed with fidelity helps students prepare for class, learn new skills, reinforce learned skills, and increases classroom participation. Students often do not complete all their homework on time and teachers are often looking for alternatives that make students more likely to finish. This study looks at how allowing students to choose their homework from a list rather than doing a specific, pre-assigned list affected their academic achievement as measured by summative assessments. The study also looked at whether homework choice improved homework completion rates. A class of students in a university-model homeschool program for 10th and 11th graders were followed during four units in an introductory chemistry class. The students were divided into two groups. For each unit, one group was assigned specific homework tasks, and the other groups was given a list of assignments to choose from. The treatment and non-treatment groups were swapped at the end of every unit, giving each student two units where they were in the treatment group and two units where they were in the non-treatment group. Before the treatment, most students either did not like or hated science homework. After each unit the students were given a summative assessment. Overall, the homework compliance remained the same and the summative assessment scores were 10% higher for the treatment groups. In an end of project interview, students overwhelmingly expressed their enjoyment for homework choice and wanted it to continue beyond the project. The students preferred homework choice because they could opt for assignments that they felt more comfortable completing. Some preferred more traditional assignments, while others preferred more creative assignments. Looking at individual students, their summative assessment scores showed a statistically significant increase during the treatment. Homework choice seems to have for most students had a positive effect and should be considered in the future.