My teaching context:

•I work at a secondary school and teach 5th grade students.

•I conduct lessons for a group of thirteen students, who are at the A2 elementary level.

•My students were not interested in doing homework, which led me to conduct research on this issue.

•As a result of my research, students' motivation and interest in completing their homework have increased.

•My goal is to help students stay engaged in learning and develop a positive attitude toward doing assignments.

"How do I investigate homework challenges among 5th grade students?"

My other research questions:

•My perception:

What strategies have I used to encourage my students to complete their homework?

•My students' perception:

What are the biggest challenges my students face when completing homework?

•My students' behavior:

How do they behave when I ask why they do not do their homework?

•Teaching journal

• Reflection essay

• A survey with questions that require quantitative and qualitative data

• Peer observation

Lack of motivation affects their willingness to complete homework.

Some tasks feel irrelevant or boring, reducing engagement.

Difficulty understanding homework makes it challenging for them to complete assignments independently.

My perceptions:

There is a need for clearer instructions to help students understand their homework.

Homework tasks should be more engaging and relevant to students' interests.

My students' behavior:

Some students avoid completing homework altogether.

They show better outcomes when working on assignments collaboratively.

Additional observations:

Low family involvement negatively impacts students' homework completion and motivation.

Epstein (1989), as cited by Johnson (2018), emphasizes that increased parental involvement in homework routines significantly boosts students’ motivation and academic performance.

Good and Power (1976), as cited by Davis (2015), categorize students’ approaches to homework into several types: autonomous achievers, socially oriented, dependent, disengaged, and resistant.

Seven key factors influencing homework completion among elementary students have been identified:

1. Task relevance

2. Clarity of instructions

3. Intrinsic motivation

4. Teacher support

5. Parental involvement

6. Collaborative learning

7. Assignment difficulty

Lee and Kim (2019) employed a Delphi technique to pinpoint the primary obstacles in homework engagement, highlighting issues such as lack of interest, ambiguous task expectations, and insufficient feedback.

What impact does an optimized homework structure have on students' motivation and engagement in completing assignments?

Action 1

Make Homework More Interesting:

Provide students with homework tasks that match their interests and allow them to choose from a variety of options.

Reason: Students are more engaged and motivated when assignments feel relevant and offer them a degree of autonomy.

Action 2

Simplify Homework Tasks:

Break down larger assignments into smaller, manageable steps by providing clear instructions and relevant examples.

Reason: Simplified tasks reduce confusion and overwhelm, making it easier for students to complete their homework successfully.

Action 3

Support Students Before and After Homework:

Offer guidance prior to homework distribution and provide constructive feedback afterward.

Reason: Continuous support reinforces understanding and builds students' confidence in their ability to complete assignments.

Action 4

Involve Parents:

Keep parents informed about homework assignments and expectations through regular communication.

Reason: Parental involvement reinforces the importance of homework and supports student accountability at home.

Action 5

Collaborate with Other Teachers:

Share findings and strategies with colleagues to identify common challenges and develop effective homework practices.

Reason: Collaboration promotes innovative solutions and a consistent approach across different classes.

Action 6

Foster Collaboration Among Students:

Encourage group work and peer-to-peer interactions during homework assignments whenever possible.

Reason: Collaborative tasks can enhance engagement, make homework more dynamic, and lead to better learning outcomes.

Categorized answers:

1. Clear and Accessible Instructions

Answer 1: Homework should be given in a comprehensible way, considering students' conditions (e.g., avoiding phone-related tasks if a student doesn’t have access to a phone).

Answer 3: Breaking assignments into smaller, specific tasks with clear instructions can make them less overwhelming and easier to complete.

2. Student-Centered Approach

Answer 2: Organize homework based on students' interests.

Answer 7: Students shouldn't only do written assignments; they should be given tasks in different formats or interesting activities.

3. Appropriateness of Content

Answer 4: Assign work that is appropriate in length and difficulty for their grade level.

Answer 5: Include games that depend on the topic.

4. Outcomes and Benefits

Answer 6: They learned a lot of things.

1. Lack of Time

Answer 1: I hadn't got enough time to do homework.

Answer 4: I had too much work from other classes.

Answer 5: I ran out of time because of personal or family commitments.

Answer 9: "I didn't have enough time for doing homework."

2. Difficulty Understanding

Answer 1: I didn’t understand.

Answer 3: Didn’t understand the assignment.

3. Denial or Misunderstanding

Answer 2: Sometimes they said I didn't give any homework; sometimes said they can't do their homework.

4. Honest Explanations

Answer 6: Some students might admit they forgot, didn’t understand, or ran out of time.

5. Context-Dependent Responses

Answer 7: It depends on the situation.

6. Apologetic Behavior

Answer 8: They keep their shy and ask apologies.

1. Parent Involvement

Answer 1: I would warn them that if they don’t do their homework, I will inform their parents.

Answer 5: Communicate with parents: Inform parents about the issue and collaborate on strategies to support the student at home.

2. Addressing Difficulties

Answer 2: I may ask exactly what part of the homework seems difficult to them and try to do it together during the lesson.

Answer 3: Simplify or modify: Provide tasks that better align with the student’s abilities or schedule.

Answer 6: I try to help by solving problems in simple ways.

3. Motivation and Engagement

Answer 4: Incorporate interests: Tailor assignments to subjects or formats they enjoy to spark motivation.

4. Task Adjustment

Answer 6: I give them easier tasks that they can do, different from those assigned to other students.

Answer 7: I give them easier tasks that they can do, different from those assigned to other students.

1. My own reflections on homework tasks

Keeping a reflective journal about how students respond to the assignments I give.

2. Questionnaire to students

Gathering feedback on their homework experiences, challenges, and preferences.

3. Brief discussions with parents

Talking to parents to understand how they support or monitor homework at home.

4. Observation of my students’ behavior

Noting their engagement, motivation, and collaboration when homework is assigned or discussed.

70% of students struggled with motivation to complete homework.

55% found some tasks irrelevant or uninteresting.

50% preferred group-based homework over individual tasks.

60% said they would complete more homework if given options to choose from.

45% of parents were unsure how to help with their child’s homework.

50% reported that their children avoided homework unless reminded.

40% of parents believed that clearer instructions would help their children complete tasks more independently.

Students showed higher motivation (72%) when discussing homework in groups before completing it.

50% of students procrastinated on writing assignments unless given step-by-step guidance.

60% showed improved confidence when receiving feedback before submission.

35% completed homework more consistently when they knew parents were informed about their assignments.

•Students became more consistent in completing homework when tasks were simplified and broken into smaller steps. Clearer instructions and examples helped reduce avoidance behavior, and more students submitted their work on time. (The change in students’ behavior)

•Most students feel more confident and responsible when they receive feedback and parental involvement is encouraged. Knowing that their efforts were recognized, students became more proactive in completing tasks and asking for help when needed. (The change in students’ perception)