Jianzhong Xu

Family Help and Homework Management Reported by Middle School Students

In this study, we used survey data from 121 urban middle school students (in grades 6, 7, and 8) to define 5 features of homework management: setting an appropriate work environment; managing the time spent; and controlling attention, motivation, and potentially interfering emotions. 2 of these features, arranging the environment and controlling emotions, related systematically to family help with homework. Homework management indices were unrelated to standardized achievement test scores. The discussion builds on extant research to deepen understanding of how standards, modeling, and appropriate feedback from family and schools can help develop students skills in managing homework into the adolescent years.

Purposes for Doing Homework Reported by Middle and High School Students

The author examined purposes for doing homework perceived by 920 students in Grades 5-12. Through an exploratory factor analysis, 8 homework purposes were reduced to 2 factor structures: Intrinsic Reasons and Extrinsic Reasons, Both factors related positively to students use of homework management strategies. However, only Intrinsic Reasons was related to lower frequency of incomplete homework and to higher self-reported grade. Each factor was further subjected to a 2 x 2 x 2 (Grade x Gender x Homework Help) analysis of variance. Older students and students who did not receive homework help were more likely to disagree that they did homework for extrinisc reasons. The effect of homework help on Intrinsic Reasons was apparent among only the boys.

Homework as the Job of Childhood

The authors undertook a series of empirical studies to examine how students experience homework at various grade levels. The research casts a different light on the century-old practice of doing homework, suggesting it is the quintessential job of childhood. Homework creates a situation where the child must complete assigned tasks under minimal supervision and after little initial training. Doing well on that job gets one further along in school. As in the workplace, when children move from beginners to experts with homework, they demonstrate responsibility and become skilled at managing tasks. These positive outcomes enhance the intended deepening of students subject matter knowledge. However, the authors assert that another virtue of homework is that it can prepare children for jobs they will have one day; it may develop an aptitude for gainful employment.

Gender and Homework Management Reported by High School Students

This study linked gender and grade level to five features of homework management reported by 426 high school students (setting an appropriate work environment, managing time, and controlling attention, motivation, and potentially interfering emotions). In addition, it linked gender and grade level to relevant homework behaviours and affective reactions toward homework. The results revealed that grade level (grades 9–10 vs. grades 11–12) did not relate to any of the above homework measures. On the other hand, compared with boys, girls more frequently reported working to manage their workspace, budget their time, and monitor their emotions. They also reported that they spent more time doing homework, were less likely to come to class without homework, and considered homework less boring.

Middle‐School Homework Management: More than just gender and family involvement

The article links student and family characteristics, along with homework characteristics and homework purposes, to homework management as reported by 194 middle‐school students in Grades 5–6. The results revealed that homework management was not related to grade level, amount of parental education, time spent on homework, or extrinsic reasons for doing homework. However, girls and students who received family help reported more frequently managing their homework. In addition, homework interest and whether homework was a favorite activity were positively related to the use of homework management strategies, above and beyond gender and family help. Furthermore, intrinsic reasons for doing homework accounted for an additional, significant percentage of the variance in homework management, with higher levels of intrinsic reasons being positively associated with more frequent use of homework management strategies.

Validation of Scores on the Homework Management Scale for High School Students.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the validity of scores on the Homework Management Scale (HMS) using 699 rural and 482 urban eighth graders. The study revealed that the HMS comprised 5 separate yet related factors: arranging the environment, managing time, handling distraction, monitoring motivation, and controlling emotion. Given an adequate level of configural, factor loading, common error covariance, and intercept invariance, I further tested the difference between group means. Results revealed that urban students were more likely to manage their homework than their rural counterparts in 2 of the 5 areas, namely, handling distraction and monitoring motivation. Findings also showed that the HMS differentiated among students who were more or less likely to complete homework assignments.The purpose of this study is to test the validity of scores on the Homework Management Scale (HMS) using 681 rural and 306 urban high school students. Based on a randomized split of the rural sample, the author first conducts exploratory factor analysis on Group 1 (n = 341) and confirmatory factor analysis on Group 2 (n = 340). The results reveal that the HMS comprises five separate yet related factors: arranging environment, managing time, handling distraction, monitoring motivation, and controlling emotion. This factor structure is cross-validated with the data from the urban sample (Group 3). The study finds an adequate level of configural, factor loading, common error covariance, and intercept invariance between Group 2 and Group 3.

Self-Regulation of Homework Behavior: Homework Management at the Secondary School Level

ABSTRACT The authors examined empirical models of variables posited to predict homework management at the secondary school level. The participants were 866 eighth-grade students from 61 classes and 745 eleventh-grade students from 46 classes. Most of the variance in homework management occurred at the student level, with affective attitude and homework interest appearing as 2 significant predictors at the class level. At the student level, homework management was positively associated with learning-oriented reasons, affective attitude, self-reported grade, family homework help, homework interest, teacher feedback, and adult-oriented reasons. On the other hand, homework management was negatively associated with time spent watching television. In addition, Black girls, compared with Black boys, were more likely to manage their homework assignments.

Homework Completion at the Secondary School Level: A Multilevel Analysis

ABSTRACT The author aimed to test empirical models of variables posited to predict homework completion at the secondary school level. Student- and class-level predictors of homework completion were analyzed in a survey of 1,046 8th-grade students from 63 classes and of 849 11th-grade students from 48 classes. Most of the variance in homework completion occurred at the student level, with parent education and teacher feedback being two significant predictors at the class level. At the student level, the variation in homework completion was positively associated with teacher feedback, self-reported grade, learning-oriented reasons for doing homework, homework interest, and homework management. Girls reported statistically significant higher scores in homework completion than did boys.

Homework Purpose Scale for High School Students: A Validation Study

The purpose of this study is to test the validity of scores on the Homework Purpose Scale using 681 rural and 306 urban high school students. First, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the rural sample. The results reveal that the Homework Purpose Scale comprises three separate yet related factors, including Learning-Oriented Reasons, Adult-Oriented Reasons, and Peer-Oriented Reasons. This factor structure is tested with the data from the urban sample. Given an adequate level of configural, factor loading, common error covariance, and intercept invariance, the difference between the group means is further tested. The results reveal that urban high school students, as compared with their rural counterparts, are more likely to do homework for adult-oriented reasons.

Investigating factors that influence conventional distraction and tech-related distraction in math homework

This study examined high school students distractions in math homework. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the scores of six items regarding conventional and tech-related distractions. Data revealed that conventional and tech-related distractions were empirically distinguishable. Two multilevel models were performed, with each type of distractions as the dependent variable. Both types of distraction were negatively related to four student-level variables (homework effort, homework environment, learning-oriented reasons, and value belief). In addition, both were positively related to three student-level variables (time on videogame, peer-oriented reasons, and time on homework) and one class-level variable (time on homework). Meanwhile, tech-related distraction was positively associated with parent education, whereas conventional distraction was negatively associated with expectancy belief, affective attitude, and grade level. This study examined high school students distractions in math homework.Conventional distraction (CD) and tech-related distraction (TD) were distinguishable.Both CD and TD were negatively related to homework effort and value belief.CD was negatively related to expectancy belief, affective attitude, and grade level.TC was positively related to parent education.