This article presents 2 studies aimed at validating a measure of stress experienced by children and parents around the issue of homework, applying Benson's program of validation (Benson, 1998). Study 1 provides external validity of the measure by supporting hypothesized relations between stress around homework and students' and parents' positive…

This qualitative case study examined causes of low graduation rates for young adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students participating in an after-school program and reflect on their perceptions of that program a year after they graduated. The theoretical framework for this study reflected upon an open social system. The research…

There has been an increased emphasis for college instruction to incorporate more active and collaborative involvement of students in the learning process. These views have been asserted by The Association of American Colleges (AAC), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and The National Research Counsel (NRC), which are advocating for the…

This investigation examined the effects of providing choices among homework assignments on motivation and subsequent academic performance. Students were randomly assigned within classrooms either to receive a choice of homework options or to be assigned an option for all homework in one instructional unit. Conditions were reversed for a second…

The author examined purposes for doing homework as perceived by 969 eighth-grade students from 52 classes and 831 11th-grade students from 45 classes. Through an exploratory factor analysis, 15 homework purposes were reduced to a 3-factor structure: peer-oriented, adult-oriented, and learning-oriented reasons. A series of 3 multilevel models were…

This study utilized a mixed-method design in order to investigate the alignment of secondary science teachers' instructional methodologies and their homework designs. Surveys were distributed to educators from a Center for Ocean Sciences Excellence Education (COSEE) database. Coding rubrics were developed to categorize the participants' responses…

Using a data set specifically tailored to homework research, with a sample of 1275 students from 70 classes in Switzerland, the association between homework and achievement in French as a second language was tested at three levels (class level, between-student level, and within-student level). The strength and direction of the homework-achievement…

If you've upgraded to the second edition of the landmark book "Classroom Instruction That Works," you need this companion guide to help you use technology to support research-based instruction. The authors follow the revised Instructional Planning Guide that makes it easier for you to know when to emphasize each of the instructional strategies,…

Purpose: In the process of the implementation of the eBologna program and the recent change of the university system, curricula at German universities have been redesigned; courses have been condensed and learning content has been re-structured into modules, each of which requires an evaluation. Simultaneously, skills required for working in…

A growing number of single-gender and after-school programs for youth continue to gain popularity within schools despite little empirical research regarding how these programs should be designed to achieve maximum success. The present study examined the effectiveness of a comprehensive middle school male academy program in terms of student…

This paper examines whether a blended course that introduces lower-level education online learned by students before they come into class and after class online assignments and online discussions enhances student performance for an introductory principles of accounting course over the period 2009-2010. The blended course design includes (1)…

The issue of homework has been a hot topic, with many educators professing strong views about the practices that should be adopted. Alfie Kohn claims that the practice of assigning homework has negligible effects on student achievement and, because students dread it, homework can actually lead to a lack of interest in learning. Yet, the research…

Stakeholders in higher education are addressing the decreasing success rates in college mathematics courses. Success in mathematics courses has been one factor related to students successfully obtaining a college degree, and the primary predictor of success in mathematics is a student's belief in his or her ability to achieve a particular grade in…

This article presents the results of a study focused on the issue of how proctored testing affects student test scores in a formal Intermediate Algebra course setting. The study follows a model of assessment in which students in one group have taken two of their five unit exams as proctored tests along with a proctored comprehensive final exam,…

A problem-solving template enables a methodology of instruction that integrates aspects of both sequencing and conceptual learning. It is designed to enhance critical-thinking skills when used within the framework of a learner-centered approach to teaching, where regular, thorough assessments of student learning are key components of the…