Author : Dawn L. Hein
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 106 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (16 download)
Book Synopsis Improving Homework Completion and Motivation of Middle School Students Through Behavior Modification, Graphing, and Parent Communication by : Dawn L. Hein
Download or read book Improving Homework Completion and Motivation of Middle School Students Through Behavior Modification, Graphing, and Parent Communication written by Dawn L. Hein and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An action research project report was complete to discuss how homework completion and motivation is an ongoing issue and debate within the public schools. This is especially true in the middle school setting. The teacher researchers of this project chose to conduct a study in order to increase homework completion and motivation of middle school students using Teacher Researcher B's reading/language arts 6th grade classroom. The study consisted of 30 student participants and took place during the time period of January 29, 2007, until May 9, 2007. During the teacher researchers' review of the literature, numerous influences were revealed as to why homework completion and motivation is an area of frustration for teachers, parents, and students. These influences include poor student habits and study skills, lack of parental support and/or understanding, poor environment, parent complaints of schools and teachers, teacher concerns and lack of communication between home, school, and community, and finally the special education community of learners. Teacher researchers used parent and student surveys to document evidence of the problem. There were three interventions/strategies the teacher researchers used for this action research project. Homework charting/graphing was used for each class. The students graphed their homework completion with teacher supervision on a daily basis. A ticket/reward system was implemented in conjunction with the graphing/charting giving the students an opportunity to earn prizes/rewards for homework completion. The parents were apprised weekly of their child's progress by receiving a home note on a weekly basis, outlining their child's weekly progress, or lack thereof. The teacher researchers found the action research project to have both positive and negative results. Though student motivation increased at the beginning of the intervention, motivation seemed to decline by the end of the intervention. The teacher researchers believe this decline to be attributed to the intervention occurring toward the end of the school year. A lack of teacher consistency and enthusiasm toward the end of the intervention and a lack of parent consistency in responding to home notes were other factors believed to contribute to the lack of student motivation. The most positive feedback of the project came from parents. Parents responded positively to the consistent feedback concerning their child's progress. Though the teacher researchers would change several areas of the interventions, the weekly parent communication would be an intervention they would continue and recommend. Appended are: (1) Teacher Survey; (2) Consent to Participate; (3) Parent Survey; (4) Teacher Record Book; (5) Teacher Researcher's Weekly Log; (6) Student Survey; (7) Behavior Modification Chart; and (8) Weekly Home Note. (Contains 4 tables and 35 figures.) [Master of Arts Action Research Project, Saint Xavier University.].
