HW#8: Intended Purposes of Homework

Homework is a usual task to all students. It's like a common thing when you're at school. After the class bell rung, it is certain that there would be take home activities or list of task to be done at home; as a school extension of things not done in school. Dictionary meaning of homework is, as defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary, an assignment given to a student to be completed outside the regular class period. In simple words, a task done not in school but usually at home -- maybe that is why it is called as homework.

I've been doing lots of homework ever since I started going to school. Then approximately, maybe I've done at least thousands of homework but the thing is, I never thought of knowing what are the purposes of homework really are. 

I have done research and I found this discussion paper entitled "HOMEWORK: What are the upsides and downsides?" and realized the purpose of why homework was designed. I found some obvious aims of homework and also those unexpected purposes that had never crossed my mind. The researcher compiled the idea of another researcher named Epstein that came up with The Ten Ps of homework. Each purpose was elaborated according to my understanding.

• Practice – With homework, all the things that had been discussed in the classroom can be put into practice. By doing exercises based on the day's lesson, students can apply what they have learned from the lecture.

• Preparation – Homework makes students be ready on the next lessons to be tackled. If there are things not yet that clear, assignments can clarify these questions and make them able to move on to another topic the next meeting.

• Participation – Although not all students are that active in participating in class, homework can force them to do so. Despite of some students being passive about it they will be required to participate in the discussion with the help of homework.

• Personal Development – With a task like homework being assigned on students it can create a sense of responsibilities among the students. They can acquire some competent study skills, giving attention in following direction and being conscious about the limited time given to finish the job. Also, with the grades given to each homework, the can boost their confidence by excelling some activities and having achievements through homework. Various activities assigned can open opportunities to students to explore and improve talents and skills.

• Peer Interactions – Group tasks or homework can able students to collaborate wit each other and compare and share new ideas for the benefit of all. Working with a team also creates a good "teamwork" skill in all students. 

• Parent-Child Relations – Homework can serve as a window for the parents and the students to have a good communication with each other and exchange ideas for the learning purposes.They can share ideas about expectations, school and how to apply the things they learn in real life. Also, this can be a means for the parents to give positive remarks for their children.

• Parent-Teacher Communications  –  Homework does also bridges teachers and parents. With homework, teachers can fill in parents on the learning progress of their children and how and what are they learning so far.

• Public Relations – A motivation is sometimes what homework is being assigned to. As to state that the school has a high standard to the families of the communities and one of its requirements is to accomplish these tasks or activities.

• Policy  –  Some are already a part of policy and that schools are required to accomplish a certain task or activity as ordered by an educational institution. 

• Punishment – Homework can also be served as punishment to students who lacks focus and attention in studying or when in class. Common example is writing some lines or essays on how to behave properly in class. But this purpose is not that accepted or rather in appropriate because as said in the discussion paper: "It serves merely as an exercise of teachers’ power to use up students time, with a negative focus on behavior rather than learning."

Given all the said intended purpose of homework, gave much clearer view of what homework and what it is for. As for my all the research I've currently done, homework seems to fail in meeting its aim and purpose. For according to some of my data, homework can result to the opposite of what is the intended outcomes should be.

Why are the adverse results occurring in spite of the positive intentions of how the homework is actually designed? The question that remained unanswered for the years of research done about the matter. The only thing sure is that there are lots and lots of factors and they kept on stacking and increasing as long as there are changes in our educational system -- as long as change is present the hunt for the answer in the question will always be left unclear. The thing we can only do is to catch up on these changes as close as we can possibly be.