Improving Homework Submission Rates among Students
✍️ Surendra Wagle
Department of English
Introduction :
I am Surendra Wagle. I have been teaching English language at Nepal Police School, Sanga, Kavre in class 11 and 12. It is a non-profit making institution run by Nepal Police Welfare Trust. The students at this school are from diverse economic, social and cultural background from different parts of the nation. I carried out this exploratory action research in class 12 students .
Research Issue: Not submitting Homework regularly.
Background:
Education is an important factor for the development of the society. It enables an individual to acquire essential knowledge and skills vital for personal growth and national progress. Homework assignments serve as pivotal supplements to classroom learning, reinforcing concepts, fostering self-discipline, and promoting academic success. Despite its identified benefits, there are still some challenges in ensuring consistent homework submission rates among students, particularly in diverse educational settings such as Nepal Police School.
Teachers assign certain homework to the students after the class but generally the students have a tendency of not doing the homework on time. Teachers are found talking about students not doing homework regularly. They seem to be worried about it. They say that students are lazy and they don’t do the homework regularly and they never turn the page of books after the class. So they can’t progress in their studies.
I teach English in class 11 and 12. I assign homework to my students almost after completion of every lesson. But some students submit incomplete task and some students do not submit the work. When asked they make different excuses. I talked about this problem with my colleagues teaching in the same class and asked if all the students submit their homework on time. They replied that they also face the same problem. Those students who are irregular to submit homework have not been able to perform well in the examination as well. Despite this we have not paid attention on how much we have tried to involve the students in learning activities and what effort we have made to solve the problem.
The issue of irregular homework submission not only affects individual academic performance but also reflects broader systemic challenges within the educational framework. Persistent non-compliance with homework requirements may lead to a cycle of poor performance, disinterest in the subject matter, and ultimately, low academic progress. Moreover, in a context where education plays a crucial role in shaping future leaders and professionals, addressing this issue is paramount to fostering a culture of responsibility, diligence, and academic excellence among students.
Recognizing the importance of addressing this concern, exploratory action research was carried out. This research tried to find out the root causes of irregular homework submission while simultaneously developing and implementing targeted interventions to address identified issues. By adopting an action-oriented approach, this study focused not only to understand the factors contributing to low homework submission rates but also to actively engage stakeholders in the process of problem-solving and improvement.
Through collaborative efforts involving all the stake holders; educators, students, and administrators, this exploratory action research aimed to:
Identify the underlying reasons for irregular homework submission among students at Nepal Police School. Develop and implement targeted interventions to address identified barriers to homework adherence. Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented strategies in improving homework submission rates and fostering a culture of academic responsibility. Generate insights and best practices that can inform future initiatives aimed at enhancing student engagement and academic achievement. By addressing the issue of irregular homework submission through a systematic and participatory research approach, this study endeavors to contribute to the ongoing efforts of Nepal Police School in nurturing all-rounded and academically successful individuals equipped to contribute positively to the society.
Research questions:
In order to find out the solutions to the problems that I identified above, I had to find the answers to the following questions:
Why don’t some of my students submit their homework regularly?
What motivates them to complete and submit their homework regularly?
How can I encourage my students to do their homework regularly?
Exploration Tools:
I wanted to find out why my students were reluctant for submitting homework regularly. I thought of the strategies I should implement to make my students submit their homework regularly. I talked with some of my colleagues about my problem and they replied that they also faced the same situation. At first I prepared three different tools to explore the problems. I prepared twelve open ended questions to interview with students, and ten multiple choice questions for students’ opinion. Similarly, I prepared six relevant questions to interact with my colleagues. After preparing the tools, I piloted them among the students. After piloting session I realized the necessity of changing and adding some questions to explore the real problems of the students. The tools I used for exploration were interview with students, questionnaire and informal interaction with my colleagues.
Interview with students: (purposeful sampling) I asked one of my colleague to interview four students (Two boys and two girls) of class 12 section `A’. I gave some guidelines to the colleague for conducting the interview. Interview questions are given in Appendix 1.
Questionnaire for students: I prepared a questionnaire (see appendix 2) and asked one of my colleagues to collect students’ opinion.
I had informal interaction with my colleagues. (Appendix 3)
Findings:
Interaction with my colleagues: I interacted with my colleagues about students’ problem in homework regularity. I got response that there are some students who don’t submit their homework regularly. They said that the students had excuses like lack of time, did not understand the lesson clearly and some students had the motive that if they did not do homework nothing would happen to them.
Interview with students: The interview revealed that the students feel good to study English. They mentioned that the teacher assigns homework 2-3 times a week .They like some assignment and do (sometimes).When they do not do homework sometimes the teacher penalises them and sometimes does not do anything. When asked about the type of homework they would like to do the students responded that they like to do creative homework rather than exercises from the textbook.
The students generally spend 30 minutes to 1 hour doing homework. They like to do homework if they understand the content properly. The environment is favourable to do homework and the teacher provides feedback instantly. Warden’s monitoring helps in their learning.
The data obtained from the questionnaire is presented below:
Questionnaire for students: Circle or give a tick mark to any one option to express your opinion.
1. Agree 2. Neutral 3. Disagree
It is important to do HW. 1(53.20%) 2(44.68%) 3(2.21%)
Doing HW is a fun. 1(11.36%) 2(54.55%) 3(34.09%)
Doing HW helps me be prepared for the exam. 1(46.80%) 2(42.56%) 3(10.64)
I am more willing to do my HW if I like my teacher. 1(38.30%) 2(23.40%) 3(38.30%)
I am more willing to do HW if it is checked in time and if given feedback. 1 (63.83%) 2(21.28%) 3(14.89%)
HW can help me:
Understand the lesson better. 1(71.73%) 2(19.58%) 3(8.69%)
Have self-evaluation. 1(66.67%) 2 (28.57%) 3(4.76%)
Increase my confidence in subject matter. 1 (62.22%) 2(31.12%) 3(6.66%)
HW should be assigned every day (4.34%) /once a week (65.22%) / twice a week (19.56%) /thrice a week (6.52%) /never(4.35%)
What makes you not to do HW? (Tick the option/s that suits you)
I am not interested in English HW. (4.26%)
I don’t enjoy HW based on textbook. (12.76%)
I don’t understand the lesson. (29.78%)
I don’t have enough time to complete my HW. (51.06%)
Because the HW is too long.(25.53%)
Questionnaire: After studying the students` responses to the questionnaire I found that majority of the students, 53.20% , think it is important to do homework. Doing homework is a fun for 11.36% of students, where as 34.09% students disagree it. Majority of the students, 46.80%, think that doing homework helps them be prepared for the exam, where as 10.64% disagree it. The percentage of students willing to do homework if they like the teacher is 38.30 but the same percent of students disagree it. Majority of the students think that homework can help them understand the lesson better, have self-evaluation and increase their confidence in subject matter. Majority of the students, 65.22%, think homework should be given once a week, 19.56% students think homework should be given twice a week and only 4.34% students think homework should be given every day. When asked what makes them not to do homework 51.06% said they did not have enough time, 29.78% said they did not understand the lesson, 25.53% said homework was too long and 4.26% said they were not interested in English homework.
When they were asked how the teacher can help them to complete their homework in time, and how they think this problem can be minimized, majority of their responses were as follow:
a. Have enough discussion in the class (clarify it well)
b. Minimize homework size
c. Give homework only after completion of the lesson/chapter
d. Provide enough time
e. Provide critical/creative/ practical / conceptual types of questions
Intervention plan:
On the basis of the exploration I made following plans to intervene in the classroom in order to encourage and motivate the students to complete and submit the homework regularly.
a. Sufficient discussion and clarification on the exercise before assigning the task
b. Reasonable length of the task
b. Homework of students` preference
d. Extension of submission time
Implementation:
As planned the first thing I did was before assigning the homework I conducted enough discussion in the class and clarified the concept well. There was active participation of the students and they had enough interaction.
Secondly, I changed my practice of assigning homework. I started assigning reasonable amount of homework which is enough to measure certain learning outcomes of the lesson. So that the students would not be demotivated because of the mass of homework and they would complete it with interest without feeling much pressure.
For free writing task I gave option to the students to choose the topic themselves. They were interested writing on the topics of their personal experiences, autobiography, travelogue and recent issues.
I reconsidered allocating my students more time to complete their homework so that they would be motivated to be punctual and regular to submit it.
Outcomes:
After the implementation of my plan, the result was remarkable. I found the students` attitude to homework more positive. The rate of homework submission really improved. However, it could not be hundred percent all the time as there were some excuses from time to time.
During the process, I observed my reflection note and the result caused by my action in the classroom. Two major changes were seen there. Firstly, there was change in myself. Previously I used to assign homework to the students daily. I used to think that if I assigned more homework, the students would learn more. I thought students should not be given free time. I did not think that they had to do homework of other subjects and they needed some free time for relaxation and entertainment. Even I allocated short time for homework submission. Now I have realized the real problems of the students. I have learnt how to balance the load and time while assigning homework to the students. Now I have changed myself to a facilitator from a dictator teacher.
Secondly, there were some noticeable changes in the students. The number of homework submission increased. The students were found happier and more cooperative.
Conclusion:
Teaching- learning is a never ending Process. Before entering the classroom as teacher a person has to achieve certain academic qualifications and get trainings. So one may think s/he knows everything and whatever s/ he does is right and only sees the mistakes of students. I also thought I had got enough trainings and long experience of teaching so I know much regarding student teaching. When I came across any problems in the classroom, I used to accuse the students for it. I never thought I was also equally responsible for it. I never tried to find the underlying reason behind those problems. Therefore, many of those simple problems remained unsolved.
This action research has provided me valuable insight into the teaching- learning process and underscored the significant role of reflective practice in improving educational outcomes. Through the exploration of practical strategies and their impact on student engagement and learning, I have gained deeper insights into my teaching practices. It has provided me an opportunity to refine myself and adapt better approaches to meet the needs of my students. This experience has reinforced the importance of ongoing professional development and inquiry, as action research empowers educators to take an active role in shaping their classrooms. It is not only a tool for enhancing student learning but also a meaningful process for the growth of teachers and innovation in education.
Appendices
Appendix- 1
Interview questions for with students
1. How do you feel about English?
2. How often does your English teacher assign homework?
3. Do you like the HW activities your teacher gives you?
4. Do you do English HW regularly?
5. What happens when you don’t do your HW?
6. Why do you need to do HW?
7. How much homework does your teacher give?
8. What types of English HW task does your teacher usually assign and what types of HW do you usually enjoy?
9. How much time is required to complete your English HW?
10. Is the environment for doing HW favourable?
11. Does the teacher provide immediate feedback?
12. How does warden’s monitoring help you in learning?
.
Appendix-2
Questionnaire for students:
Circle or give a tick mark to any one option to express your opinion.
(1. Agree 2. Neutral 3. Disagree )
1. It is important to do HW. 1 2 3
2. Doing HW is a fun. 1 2 3
3. Doing HW helps me be prepared for exam. 1 2 3
4. I am more willing to do my HW if I like my teacher. 1 2 3
5. I am more willing to do HW if I get sufficient feedback. 1 2 3
6. HW can help me:
a. Understand the lesson better. 1 2 3
b. Have self-evaluation. 1 2 3
c. Increase my confidence in subject matter. 1 2 3
7. Teachers usually assign HW based on textbook. 1 2 3
8. I don`t like to do HW because I don`t understand the lesson. 1 2 3
9. I like HW based on text book/ project work/ both of the above.
10. HW should be assigned every day/once a week/ twice a week/thrice a week/never
11. What makes you not to do HW? (Tick the option/s that suits you)
a. I am not interested in English HW.
b. I don`t enjoy HW based on textbook.
c. I don`t understand the lesson.
d. I don`t have enough time to complete my HW.
e. Because the HW is too long.
Appendix-3
Interaction with colleagues:
1. Do all your students submit the assigned HW regularly?
2. Is there any student who has problem with regular HW submission?
3. Which students are irregular to submit HW?
4. What is their response when you ask for HW?
5. What may be the reasons behind not submitting HW regularly?
6. How can we motivate them to do their homework regularly?
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